Soulmates
by AnnLiberty
Summary: Soulmates: Some people in Divergent's Chicago are born with soulmarks, tattoo-like birthmarks that say the first words their soulmate will say to them. The marks are written in a color indicating their soulmate's faction of birth. Beatrice Prior, an Abnegation dependent, was born with two different soulmarks. How does she decide her faction? What happens once she makes her choice?
1. Chapter 1: Marks

**Soulmates: Some people in Divergent's Chicago are born with soulmarks, tattoo-like birthmarks that say the first words their soulmate will say to them. The marks are written in a color indicating their soulmate's faction of birth. Beatrice Prior, an Abnegation dependent, was born with two different soulmarks. How does she decide her faction? What happens once she makes her choice? Eric X Tris X Four/Tobias (non-sexual)**

**30 chapters plus an epilogue. Fully-written. Updates weekly (with bonus updates now and then). Rated T/PG-13**

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_Left or right?_ Beatrice Prior stands at a fork in the road, panicked. She looks side to side, trying to decide which way to go. The trees surrounding her don't let her see far down either path. She hears a snarling growl behind her and knows only one thing. She has to make a decision. _Now._

Beatrice's blue-grey eyes snap open, the dark forest replaced by the sunlit grey of her sparse Abnegation bedroom. She catches her breath, wiping the sweat off her brow. _This dream again_. It doesn't take an Erudite to decipher the recurring dream. She knows that it's about her soulmark. Or more accurately, her _soulmarks_.

A soulmark is like a birthmark. Some people are born with a phrase on their bodies, and that phrase is the first words that their soulmate will say to them. The marks are either blue, black, grey, red, or a black and white mix, indicating which faction the soulmate was born in.

For example, Beatrice's mother, Natalie, has blue words on her arm. In Tris' father's masculine handwriting her words say, "Would you like to borrow a pencil?" Tris' father, Andrew, has a black mark, and his says, "Sure, thanks," in her mother's soft script. The two met in school, before their choosing ceremony. Deeply in love and confident that they were soulmates, they transferred together from Erudite and Dauntless to Abnegation.

The problem is that Beatrice has two soulmarks. On her left hip is a blue mark, indicating a soulmate born in Erudite, like her father. In even, blocky writing the mark says, "Welcome to Dauntless." In the same place on her right hip is a grey mark. The writing there is more cramped, and says, "What's your name?"

Beatrice has spent countless hours mulling over the possibilities and implications of her soulmarks. The grey mark frustrates her. "What's your name?" is such a common first interaction with someone. Teachers, classmates, neighbors - nearly everyone asks that question when they first meet. And since it's in the color of her birth faction, she probably already knows the mystery man who shares her mark. Is there someone in Abnegation with "Beatrice" marked on them in grey? Does this mean she should stay in Abnegation? People from her faction rarely transfer, so undoubtedly transferring would take her away from her soulmate.

The other mark is even more confusing. It's blue, so that soulmate was born in Erudite. But the words say, "Welcome to Dauntless." Is that soulmate an Erudite transfer to Dauntless that she'll meet if she transfers? Or is he still in Erudite and they'll meet while both are in Dauntless for some reason?

And why does she have two marks? Will she find one soulmate then lose him and find the second? Or will she be in love with two people at the same time? The thought makes Beatrice blush.

For years she assumed that the aptitude test would seal her fate and help her decide which path to follow. If the test indicated Abnegation, she would shelve her dream of transferring somewhere more interesting, and look for the man with the mark of her name. If the test said Dauntless, she would transfer there and look for an Erudite-born transfer. If the test said Erudite, she would go there and keep her ears open for the unlikely "Welcome to Dauntless," phrase.

But the test has just made things worse. The Dauntless woman who administered Beatrice's test explained that she is divergent - meaning that she has aptitudes for more than one faction. To make things even worse, her three aptitudes are Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite.

"Knock knock," Beatrice hears her mother, Natalie, at the bedroom door.

"Good morning, Mom," she greets her mother in a voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Bad dream?" Natalie asks, concern on her face as she notices her daughter's expression, twisted bedclothes, and the sheen of sweat on her brow.

Beatrice nods.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Natalie asks.

"I'm fine," she insists, her Abnegation selflessness holding her back.

Natalie gives her a knowing look and sits on the edge of her daughter's bed.

"Sweetheart," she says in a comforting voice, "the choosing ceremony is hard for all sixteen-year-olds. It's a big decision. You have to factor in your aptitude, your own dreams, and the possibilities of your soulmark, or soulmark_s_ in your case. It's okay to admit to your mother that you're feeling stressed about it. Did the aptitude test help at all?"

"You know we're not supposed to talk about the test," Beatrice says evasively.

"I know," Natalie replies, "and I understand if you don't want to talk about it with me. But if you need to talk, know that I won't be upset with you for telling me. And I certainly won't tell anyone else what you say."

"Not even Dad?" Beatrice asks, surprised that her parents would ever keep secrets. Secrets are selfish.

Natalie shakes her head.

"Um..." Beatrice begins, hesitantly. "So you know how I, um, have two marks? And how they suggest three options? The test, it didn't, uh, tell me which one to choose. You know?"

Natalie nods. "I'm not surprised, really. I always suspected you were divergent. Which two did you get?"

"All three," Beatrice replies quietly. "Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless."

Natalie looks at her daughter, shocked. "Three?" she questions. "That's rare. In fact, it's unheard of."

Beatrice drops her gaze to her hands, knotted in her lap. "I don't know what to do."

Natalie sighs, and lightly strokes her daughter's blonde hair.

"I can't tell you what to do," Natalie says. "You have to make your own choice. It's your life. Maybe you should look at this like the people who don't have a soulmark. If you didn't have to worry about finding "the one," where would you choose to go?"

"Dauntless," Beatrice says, her voice little more than a whisper.

Natalie smiles softly at her daughter. "I'll miss you," she says. "Dauntless initiation is hard, but it's fun there, too. You'll love it. When you can, look for Hana and Michael Pedrad. Hana was my best friend. I know she will just love you."

"You're assuming I'll go to Dauntless," her daughter says.

"Oh Honey, go with your heart. The rest will follow." Natalie places a kiss on her daughter's forehead, then leaves the room.

Beatrice sighs, falling back onto her pillow. Does she have what it takes to join the faction of the brave? And will choosing Dauntless help her meet at least one of her soulmates or keep them apart?


	2. Chapter 2: The Choice

**A/N: It's worth noting that I don't own the ****_Divergent_**** series, its characters, or its world. The first half of my story is somewhat cannon timeline, but I rearranged a few things to fit the different story I'm telling. Enjoy!**

**XOXO,**

**Libby**

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"Caleb Prior."

Marcus Eaton, head leader of the Abnegation Council and host of this year's Choosing Ceremony calls Beatrice's brother. Caleb steps forward. He is confident, sure of his choice. He will choose Erudite, and no one will be surprised. Caleb has always been brilliant and curious. His left forearm sports bold blue writing that says, "Pass me a clean test tube." Caleb never had to question his future.

Beatrice watches her brother walk to the front of the room, slice his hand, and drip his blood into the Erudite bowl. She could follow him. One of her soulmarks is blue, after all, and she's a good student. But she knows she wouldn't be happy in Erudite.

"Beatrice Prior," Marcus calls.

She steps forward and takes her place in the middle of the choosing bowls. Marcus hands her a clean knife, and it shakes as she slices into her palm. For a moment she lets the blood collect in her hand as she looks at the bowls. Dismissing the earth of Amity and the glass of Candor, Beatrice concentrates on the stones of Abnegation and the words "What's your name?" She briefly considers the water of Erudite. She looks into the glowing coals of Dauntless and thinks of the other mark, "Welcome to Dauntless."

Beatrice thrusts her hand over the bowl and lets her blood drip. It sizzles as it hits the Dauntless coals.

"Dauntless!" announces Marcus, causing the group of rowdy, black-clad Dauntless to erupt in cheers. Beatrice lets out a shaky breath and moves to join them.

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Dauntless initiation begins the minute the Choosing Ceremony ends. Beatrice finds herself tested as soon as they leave, when the Dauntless run to the train station, climb the elevated platform, and jump onto the moving train. She makes it onto the train and tries desperately to catch her breath as they roll through the city.

"Welcome to Dauntless!" says a sarcastic voice. Beatrice's head snaps up at the sound of her soulmark words, but the speaker is a Candor girl. "What's your name?" the Candor asks.

Beatrice shakes her head hearing her other words. Thankfully her marks aren't the black and white of Candor. "I'm Beatrice," she says to the Candor girl.

"Christina," says the Candor.

"I'm Will," says an Erudite boy. Beatrice is relieved that he doesn't speak her soulmark words. Not that he's bad looking or anything, but in her nervous state she doesn't know what she would do if he did say it.

"Did you just say…" Christina sounds completely freaked out, and Beatrice turns to see her new friend go pale.

"Oh my god," says the Erudite boy, Will.

Beatrice and the other initiates in the train car look back and forth between the two as they stare at one another. After a minute, Will lifts his shirt to reveal the black and white words, "Did you just say…" on his ribcage.

Everyone turns to stare at Christina, and the girl lifts her shirt a little to reveal the blue words on her ribcage. "I'm Will," it says.

The two soulmates stare at one another for a few minutes. "I'm Christina," the Candor girl says, offering her hand.

"I'm Will," the boy replies, "but you know that already."

"I've known that all my life," Christina replies, and they laugh nervously.

A big Candor boy standing near the open door of the train car interrupts the meeting. "Um, guys? Everyone's jumping onto a roof up there."

The initiates clamber to look out the door, and sure enough, people near the front of the train are jumping out. Beatrice and the other initiates in their car back up to get a running start, then leap out of the train when they reach the roof.

Beatrice lands hard, tumbling forward onto her knees on the gravel. She jumps to her feet, brushing off sand and pebbles. The group appears to be assembling at the far end of the roof where the most Dauntless man Beatrice has ever seen stands on the roof ledge. He's large, both in height and in his muscular frame. His blonde hair is shaved on the sides and longer on top, slicked back with some kind of hair product. Elaborate tattoos cover the forearms exposed by his skin-tight black t-shirt, and creep up his neck, as well. He has multiple piercings in his ears and face, and the tight shirt fails to hide the rings in his nipples. Tris blushes. She's never seen a man shirtless before, not even her father or Caleb, yet this man's shirt does nothing to hide his form.

"Welcome to Dauntless," the man calls, his grey eyes locking with Beatrice's blue-grey. "My name is Eric, and I am one of the leaders of Dauntless. The entrance to the compound is several stories that way." He points off the building into the void. "Now, who's first?"

_First? They expect us to jump?_ Beatrice thinks. An Erudite transfer asks Eric what's down there, but he just rolls his eyes and refuses to answer.

A surge of bravery bubbles up in Beatrice and she steps toward the intimidating leader. "Me," she says.

Both of Eric's brows raise in shock. Beatrice takes that as a challenge and steps forward, yanking off her shapeless grey tunic and leaving her in just her loose-fitting grey pants and matching t-shirt.

"Yeah, Stiff, take it off," jeers a Candor transfer. "Never mind, put it back on."

The boy and his little group of friends laugh, and Beatrice wads up the tunic and throws it at him. She steps up onto the ledge beside Eric. "Today, Initiate," he growls at her, clearly pissed about something.

She looks down into the hole and jumps. For a minute all she feels is a rush of wind and the freedom of falling. Then she hits a net and bounces a little. She laughs and takes a second to catch her breath. One side of the net dips, causing her to roll that direction. Hands reach out for her, and she grabs the nearest one. It's large, warm, and strong. Beatrice gets her feet under her and looks up at the man who pulled her from the net.

"What's your name?" he asks. Beatrice startles at the too-familiar phrase.

"Um," she stammers. The man's eyes get big before he shakes his head, recovering himself.

"Is it a hard one?" he asks. "You can change it, but you only get to pick once, so make it good."

"Tris," she says, choosing a childhood nickname infinitely better than the Abnegation grandmotherly name her parents gave her. "My name is Tris."

"Call it, Lauren," says the man, practically pushing her at a Dauntless woman with long blonde hair.

"First jumper, Tris!" Lauren calls. From the darkness around her, Tris hears stomping and cheering.


	3. Chapter 3: Introductions

Once all the initiates jump, Lauren and the man who pulled Tris from the net address the group.

"My name is Four," the man says, "and this is Lauren. Along with Eric, we will be your initiation trainers."

Beside Tris, Christina giggles. "What, were One through Three taken?" she jokes.

By the look on Four's face, Tris can tell that he has heard that joke before, and that he doesn't find it funny.

"What's your name?" Four asks Christina.

"Christina," she squeaks.

"Well, Christina, the first thing you're going to learn in Dauntless is to keep your mouth shut. If I wanted to be surrounded by Candor smart mouths I would have transferred there. Got it?"

Christina nods, squeezing her lips shut.

"Dauntless-borns," Lauren calls, breaking the tense moment. "Come with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the compound. Transfers, you're with Four."

Lauren and the Dauntless-born initiates leave down a dark hallway. Tris looks at Four, who is examining them like he's trying to decide who will survive. She notices that he refuses to make eye contact with her. _He must have dismissed me as a failure already_, she thinks to herself. The thought should worry her, she knows, but instead, Tris feels anger surge through her. _I'll show him_, she thinks. _I'll show them all_.

Four leads the group through the Dauntless compound. He points out the pit, where the Dauntless shops are. He shows them the chasm, and warns them that a daredevil jump from the bridge is a guaranteed death sentence. Then Four leads them to the dormitory, a long, narrow room with rows of bunks and foot locker chests down each side. Like the rest of the compound, the walls are dark stone, and the floor is a solid slab of concrete worn smooth with age. Three bare lightbulbs hang from the ceiling in the center of the room.

"This is your new home," Four says in a bored tone.

"Girls or boys?" asks a slight Erudite girl.

"Both," Four answers.

Surprisingly, the Erudite girl looks happy. She smiles at the large Erudite boy she's been sticking close to. He grabs her hand, and Tris suddenly realizes that they're a couple.

Two of the Candor transfers, a red-headed boy and his better looking dark-haired buddy also look pleased, though in a more leering way. The girls look less happy. Tris feels anxiety bubble up in her chest. Her mother told her Dauntless initiation would be tough, but she didn't mention sharing a room with strange boys.

After the briefest glimpse of their new living quarters, Four leads the initiates to the cafeteria. When they arrive, the Dauntless members whoop, stomp, and cheer in celebration of their new initiates. Tris grins broadly, loving the noise and energy of her new faction. The initiates follow Four like ducklings, sitting with him at a long table filled with strange food Tris has never seen before.

No one else seems lost or surprised by the food. Christina grabs a circle of meat and puts it inside a bread roll. Tris follows suit, sneaking a sniff to see if she can identify the meat.

"It's beef," Four says around a mouthful. "Put this on it." He passes Tris a bowl of red sauce.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" asks Christina, her eyes wide.

"No," Tris says. "Is that what it's called?"

"Stiffs eat plain food," Four growls. "They don't believe in enjoying anything, including dinner."

She smirks. "No wonder you left."

"Yeah," Tris says, rolling her eyes. "It was because of the food."

The doors at the entrance to the cafeteria burst open suddenly, and Eric steps inside. He's so wide with his broad shoulders and muscular arms that he seems to fill the doorway. As he steps in and conversations around the cafeteria taper off, Tris realizes that he doesn't just fill a doorway, but an entire room. Maybe an entire faction. Unconsciously she scoots a little closer to Four.

Eric looks anything but pleased to be there. He scans the room until his eyes land on Four. The animosity that Tris sees on Eric's face, and the tension she feels radiating off Four tell her everything she needs to know about the relationship between the two men. They're rivals, enemies, two alpha males forced to share territory.

Eric marches straight for their table. "Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you, and you don't show up," he says to Four.

Four answers without looking up at the young leader. "Tell him that I am satisfied with the position I have."

"Tell him yourself," Eric snaps. "I'm your leader, not your bitch."

"Fine," Four says coolly. "You take the initiates back to the dorm, and I'll go talk to Max."

Eric growls, and Tris tenses in preparation for an explosion. Four has backed Eric into a corner by forcing him to either take the message to Max or take the initiates. For a full minute no one speaks. Four looks smug, with his arms crossed across his chest. The initiates sit absolutely still with their silverware halfway to their mouths or their jaws stopped mid-chew.

"Transfers!" Eric finally bellows. "Come with me." When no one moves, he yells again. "Now!"

Eric marches the new initiates back to their dorm room, and brusquely hands out black training uniforms and combat boots with as little conversation as possible.

"Some ground rules," he barks when the clothes are all distributed. "You have to be in the training room by eight o'clock every day. Training takes place every day from eight to six, with a break for lunch. You are free to do whatever you like after six. You will also get some time off between each stage of initiation.

"You are only permitted to leave the compound when accompanied by a Dauntless member," Eric adds. "The first stage of initiation is physical. We keep transfers and Dauntless-born initiates separate for that, but that doesn't mean you are evaluated separately. At the end of initiation, your rankings will be determined in comparison with the Dauntless-born initiates. And they are better than you are already. So I expect—"

"Rankings?" asks the Erudite girl. "Why are we ranked?"

Eric smiles, clearly excited about the unwelcome news he is about to deliver. "Your ranking serves two purposes," he says. "The first is that it determines the order in which you will select a job after initiation. There are only a few desirable positions available. The second purpose is that only the top ten initiates are made members."

Pain stabs Tris' stomach, and the initiates stand still as statues. And then Christina says, "What?"

"There are eleven Dauntless-born, and nine of you," Eric explains in a condescending sing-song tone. "That equals twenty. Ten initiates will become Dauntless, and ten will go bye-bye."

_My odds, as the smallest initiate, as the only Abnegation transfer, are not good._ Tris thinks.

"What do we do if we're cut?" Peter asks.

"You leave the Dauntless compound," says Eric indifferently, "and live factionless."

The big Candor girl starts to object. "But if we had known…"

Eric cuts her off. "Are you saying that if you had known this before the Choosing Ceremony, you wouldn't have chosen Dauntless?" Eric snaps. "Because if that's the case, you should get out now. If you are really one of us, it won't matter to you that you might fail. And if it does, you are a coward."

Eric pushes the door to the dormitory open. "You chose us," he says. "Now we have to choose you."

Some of the initiates look stunned, their mouths opening and closing like fish out of water. The dark-haired former Candor boy looks smug. The Erudite girl stifles a sob, pressing her face into her boyfriend's chest. Tris feels colder. Harder. _I will be a member. I will, she thinks._


	4. Chapter 4: Training

The first morning in training, Four and Eric start the transfers on physical conditioning and hand-to-hand combat techniques. The work is exhausting. Tris was never allowed to run in Abnegation, so her cardio conditioning is weak. The extent of her physical stamina is what she could get from her volunteer work with the factionless. However, Abnegation generally keeps the girls from doing too much of the heavy lifting, and a lifetime of minimal rations hasn't helped either. Tris is small, weak, and struggling.

It doesn't help that both of her trainers avoid her at all costs. As Eric and Four circulate around the room, they give out pointers to each initiate, but barely acknowledge Tris. They hardly even look at her, unless one of them gets close to her, then the other watches intently. They're territorial, yet standoffish, and it makes Tris crazy. She knows she's small and inexperienced in fighting. But she wants this as much, if not more, than anyone in her group. And it would help if her trainers would actually train her.

After lunch, Eric doesn't return to the training room with the group. Four gathers them together and explains the schedule. The first part will be physical training. That lasts the longest, and will include lessons on weapons maintenance, shooting, throwing knives, hand-to-hand combat, and general physical conditioning. At the end of the first phase, the bottom four initiates will be cut and made factionless.

The second part of training is emotional. Four doesn't really describe what that entails, but he calls it "fear training," and explains that they'll be training alongside the Dauntless-born initiates, but still living separately.

The third part of training is mental. It revolves around the final exam, when everything they learn is put to the test in what Four calls their "fear landscape." Tris thinks that sounds like the title of a bad horror movie.

"We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear," Four explains. "Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way."

With the announcements complete, the initiates go back to work on the punching bags.

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Training day two starts with another run, then Eric gives a brief lecture on weapons, including the types of weapons Dauntless uses and how to maintain them in proper order. He also gives the initiates some basic safety instruction before taking them into the range and passing out handguns.

Tris thinks that Eric sounds like an Erudite the way he goes through each detail of what a gun does and how to take care of it so it will keep working properly. By lunchtime each initiate can disassemble, clean, and reassemble their weapon without help. Eric tells them that they will practice this daily, and with different types of guns, until they can do it in their sleep.

It's a relief to Tris to be taking a break from the punching bags. Her arms are so sore from yesterday's training that they shake when she tries to lift them. Working with the gun is more mental than physical, and she does a reasonably good job keeping up with her classmates.

The Erudite boy, Edward, is a natural. Will tells Tris and Christina that Edward has always wanted to transfer to Dauntless, so he's been studying up on fighting and weapons since they were young.

"What about Myra?" Christina asks, referring to Edward's girlfriend.

"They're soulmates," Will says, unconsciously putting a hand on his ribs where his own soulmark hides beneath his shirt. "They found each other just a few months ago. He was set on Dauntless, so she transferred with him."

"Less talking, more loading!" Four yells, and the friends quiet as they resume loading bullets into magazines.

After lunch, Four brings the initiates back to the firing range, again without Eric. He instructs each student to take a station facing a wall of targets. Tris sets her gun on the table, careful to aim the barrel toward the bullseyes and not into the room of people. At the far end of the line, Peter, the smug, dark-haired former Candor, twirls the gun in his hands. Suddenly, Four grabs it from Peter's hand and flips it around, pressing the barrel to Peter's forehead, and clicks a bullet into place.

"Wake. Up," Four snaps. "You are holding a loaded gun, you idiot. Act like it."

Addressing the entire class, Four says simply, "Watch me."

He faces the wall with the targets on it—one square of plywood with three red circles for each initiate. He stands with his feet apart, holds the gun in both hands, and fires. The bang is so loud and sharp that Tris can feel the concussion in her teeth. It leaves a hole right through the middle circle.

"Take your position," Four barks, and the initiates step up to their stations.

"Weapons ready," he calls. Tris lifts her gun, emulating the stance Four took when he demonstrated. She hears clicking, and it reminds her to switch off the safety. The initiates cock their weapons to load bullets into position, and wait for the next direction.

"Aim!" Four yells. Tris looks down the barrel of her gun, lining up the front and back sites with one another and with the target.

"Fire!" Four yells, and the room is filled with the explosive sound of nine handguns firing simultaneously.

Tris is knocked back by the gun's recoil, but manages not to fall over. She looks at her target and sees no bullet hole.

"Again!" Four yells. "Weapons ready!" Tris takes her stance again, not needing to prepare the gun as the safety is still off and the gun cocks itself after the first shot.

"Aim," Four calls. Tris can feel her arms shaking in anticipation as the adjusts her sites and braces herself for the recoil.

"Fire!" Tris pulls the trigger, keeping her body tighter this time. The bullet hits the target, but low and to the right.

"You're squeezing the gun too tight," says a firm voice behind Tris. She startles, but manages to not do anything stupid like turning around with the gun or squeezing the trigger.

"Do it again," Four says. Tris obeys, focusing on relaxing her grip a little. The next shot is also to the right, but this time it's high, too.

"You're anticipating the recoil too much," Four says blandly.

"What?" Tris asks. "How do I… not?"

"Practice," Four says. "You'll get used to it."

"Fire at will," the instructor calls, and the sounds of gunfire fill the room.

By the time dinner rolls around, Tris and the other initiates have improved. Some of them are hitting the bullseye pretty consistently, while others are more scattered. All of them are tired, and their ears are ringing.

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On the third morning, the initiates work at the punching bags after going for a run. Both instructors are with them again, and they're back to completely ignoring Tris and glaring at one another.

When Four stops in front of Tris just before lunchtime, her insides twist like someone's stirring them with a fork. "You don't have much muscle," he says flatly, "which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them." Suddenly he presses a hand to Tris' stomach. "Don't forget to keep tension here," he says before he walks away.

Tris glances up and catches Eric glaring at the other trainer.

After lunch, Eric returns with Four and the initiates. This surprises Tris as he has left them to Four on the other days they've been training. As Four teaches the class about knife throwing, Eric hovers in the background. Tris feels his eyes on her, and she's confused by the way it makes her feel hot all over. She simultaneously craves and fears the young leader's attention.

Making things even more confusing, she feels the same way about Four. When he put his hands on her in training earlier, her stomach did flips. She feels an inexplicable comfort in his presence, even though he has been far from warm toward her. She schools herself to pay attention to Four's instruction.

"Today, you'll be learning how to aim," the trainer says. "Everyone pick up three knives, and pay attention"

At first no one moves. "Now!" Eric yells.

The initiates scramble for daggers. They aren't as heavy as guns, but they still feel strange. Tris watches Four's arm as he throws a knife. The next time he throws, she watches his stance. He hits the target each time, exhaling as he releases the knife.

"Line up!" Eric orders.

Tris spends the first few minutes practicing without a knife, finding the right stance, learning the right arm motion.

"Hey, Stiff!" Peter jeers a few stations from Tris. "Remember what a knife is?"

Ignoring him, she practices the throw again with a knife. When she throws the knife. It spins end over end, slamming into the board. The blade doesn't stick, but she's the first person to hit the target. Peter misses again, and Tris can't help herself. "Hey, Peter," she says. "Remember what a target is?"

A half hour later, Al is the only one who hasn't yet hit the target. His knives clatter to the floor. The next time he tries and misses, Eric marches toward him and demands, "How slow are you, Candor? Do you need glasses? Should I move the target closer to you?"

Al's face turns red. He throws another knife, and it spins and hits the wall. "What was that, initiate?" says Eric quietly, leaning closer to Al.

"It—it slipped," says Al.

"Well, I think you should go get it," Eric says. He scans the other initiates' faces—everyone has stopped throwing again—and yells, "Did I tell you to stop?" Knives start to hit the boards.

"Go get it?" Al's eyes are wide. "But everyone's still throwing."

"And?" Eric snarls. "I think you can trust your fellow initiates to aim better than you. Go get your knife."

"No," Al says, defending himself for possibly the first time in his life.

"Why not?" Eric's grey eyes fix on Al's face. "Are you afraid?"

"Of getting stabbed by an airborne knife?" says Al. "Yes, I am!" Honesty is his mistake. It makes him look like a coward, and that's the one thing Dauntless can't stand.

"Everyone stop!" Eric shouts. "Clear out of the ring." Eric looks at Al. "All except you. You stand in front of the target." Al's hands shake as he walks back to the target.

"Hey, Four." Eric looks over his shoulder. "Give me a hand here, huh?" Four scratches one of his eyebrows with a knife point and approaches Eric.

"You're going to stand there as he throws those knives," Eric says to Al, "until you learn not to flinch."

"Is this really necessary?" says Four. He sounds bored, but he doesn't look bored. For a moment Eric and Four just stare at each other in tense silence.

"Stop it." Tris yells, unable to stop the words that burst from her mouth. Four turns the knife in his hand, and gives her a disapproving look. "Any idiot can stand in front of a target," she says. "It doesn't prove anything except that you're bullying us. Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice."

"Then it should be easy for you," Eric says, "if you're willing to take his place."

Tris knows she can't back down now. She walks toward Al, and he nods at her, his eyes full of pitiful gratitude.

"If you flinch," Four says pointedly, "Al takes your place. Understand?" Tris nods, her gaze steely and determined.

Four pulls his elbow back, and throws the knife, burying it in the board near Tris' cheek. "Are you done, Stiff?" he asks. Tris grits her teeth and shakes her head. "Eyes open, then." He taps the spot between his eyebrows.

He passes a knife from his left hand to his right hand, and suddenly whips it Toward Tris, planting the blade just above her scalp.

"Come on, Stiff," he says. "Let someone else stand there and take it."

"Shut up, Four!" Tris says through gritted teeth.

He pulls his arm back and lets the knife fly. It comes straight at Tris, whose body goes rigid. This time, when it hits the board, her hand flies up to touch her ear. Her fingers come away bloody.

Eric glares at Four, then at Tris. As his gaze bounces back and forth he looks both angry and concerned. "I would love to stay and see if the rest of you are as daring as she is," says Eric, "but I think that's enough for today."

With that he spins on his heel and abruptly leaves the training room.

"Al, put the knives away," Four barks. "The rest of you get out of here."

The initiates bolt from the training room, eager to escape the tension-filled room. Tris leaves too, but more slowly. She's in no hurry to rehash the incident or listen to Christina's overly dramatic opinion about it.

"How's the ear?" rumbles a deep voice.

Tris jolts out of her reverie and stares at Eric, who appears to have been waiting for her in a hallway alcove. "It's fine," she says shortly, feigning bravery and nonchalance she doesn't feel.

The intimidating leader steps close, and Tris freezes as he examines the small cut. His hand slides from her ear down her cheek and the side of her neck before stopping on her shoulder. Tris shivers at the intimate contact.

"You're right," Eric growls. "It's fine."

Just as suddenly as Eric had appeared, he's gone.


	5. Chapter 5: Fights

On the morning of day four, Eric gleefully tells the transfer initiates that they will begin actual fights. He divides the class into two groups. The first, a group of five that includes Will, Al, Christina, Molly, and Tris, are to stay in the training room with Eric to fight. The others are sent to the gun range with Four. After lunch the two groups will switch so the fighters who don't end up in the infirmary get a chance to practice shooting.

When Four and his initiates leave, Eric leads his five through a series of stretches and a short warm-up run. Tris is pleased to realize that the running is getting easier for her, but most of her emotions revolve around anxiety about the fights.

She's far smaller than the people she's left with. She was hoping to get Myra for her first fight as that would be her best chance for victory, but the other girl was put in Four's group. Christina is the smallest person in her group, but Tris really doesn't want to fight her friend. Will and Al are her friends too, and they're also much bigger than Tris. Molly, too, is much larger, a solid tank of a girl who would be hard to take down.

The worst option of all is that Tris might have to fight Eric himself. The ruthless young leader would probably love to show off by crushing an initiate. Tris can only hope that beating on a small girl like herself wouldn't be enough of a challenge to tempt his ego.

"Will and Al," Eric calls when they finish their mile, "in the ring!"

The two boys step into the fighting ring and face one another.

"Go!" Eric prompts impatiently.

"What… what do we do?" Al asks.

"You fight!" Eric snaps.

"Until when?" Will asks. "Is there a timer or something?"

Eric's face is growing red, and Tris regards him nervously.

"Dauntless never give up!" he hollers. "You fight until one of you can't fight anymore! Now stop gossiping and start fighting!"

The boys comply. Tentatively at first, then with increasing intensity, Will and Al exchange blows. Al is bigger, and packs a harder punch. But Will is faster, and dodges more easily. He wears Al down with body blows, but one lucky hard blow that lands on Will's temple knocks him out cold.

Eric instructs Al to help him drag his unconscious victim off the mat, then administers smelling salts. When Will wakes up, Eric looks into his eyes with a little light and declares that the smaller boy will be fine.

Christina is obviously shaken, upset by her soulmate's beating, but Eric gives her no sympathy. "Christina and Molly," Eric barks, "in the ring."

Like Will and Al, the two girls start out by circling one another, sizing each other up and looking for weaknesses. Christina kicks Molly in the stomach, and the stocky girl makes an "oof" sound. But the blow only seems to enrage her, and Molly comes at Christina with a vengeance.

Molly lands several hard blows, including one that probably broke Christina's nose. Laying on the floor, Christina squeaks out the words, "I… I can't. I quit."

"You give up?" Eric asks. "Had enough?"

Christina nods, and Tris covers her face. Not good, she thinks. We can't quit. He's going to make her factionless.

"Come with me," Eric commands, offering a hand to help Christina off the floor. "All of you, come with me."

The young leader keeps a hand on Christina's back, guiding her through the halls as the others follow. When they get to the bridge over the chasm, Eric grabs Christina and hauls her over the safety rail, making the former Candor scream in terror.

"Grab the railing," he instructs her. In her terror she responds only with more screams. "Grab the railing!" Eric says more firmly. Tris notices his arms shake a little with the strain of holding the girl.

Christina complies, and Eric lets her go. "You have three options," he explains. "One, you can give up and die. Two, you can quit initiation and leave Dauntless right now. Or three, you can hang there for five minutes, and I'll forgive your insubordination."

"You can do it, Babe!" Will cheers, but his voice sounds desperate and fearful. Al checks his watch.

"Dauntless are the protectors of this city and everyone in it," Eric instructs as we all watch Christina. "We are the only thing standing between them and danger. If your mother, your sister, your child, your best friend was under attack, would you give up when the fight got hard? No! You would fight until you won or died trying. We train for that life because we live that life. Dauntless never give up!"

Christina gives a shaky nod at the leader. She understands. He reaches over the railing and grabs her wrists, hauling her back onto the bridge.

"People see the stunts, the games, the tattoos. They forget what we're really here for. Don't be one of those people," Eric says. "Now go to lunch and be back in the training room at one o'clock."

In the afternoon, Eric takes their group to the range, while Four's group fights. The leader acts like nothing unusual happened that morning - as if he didn't almost let Christina fall to her death. Instead, he focuses on Al, making the big initiate practice with knives while the others get to choose knives or guns.

Tris chooses the gun, disassembling and reassembling it several times before loading a magazine and stepping to the line. Her aim is better than the first day of shooting. The gun feels less foreign in her hands, and the recoil less startling. She still only hits the center of the bullseye once in a while, but her grouping of bullet holes is getting tighter.

.

xxxx

.

Day five is fights again. This time the trainers keep all nine transfers together, and their pairings are posted on a chalkboard when they arrive. Tris scans the list and sees that she is paired with… _Peter. Oh no,_ she thinks, _the sadistic asshole. _

She had heard how Peter and Edward squared off that first afternoon. The fight was brutal, aggressive, and ultimately won by Edward. So not only is Peter one of the group's strongest fighters, he also has a chip on his shoulder after losing his first fight.

Tris tries to look strong and unconcerned as she stands around and watches Al and Christina in the first fight. Al makes a half-hearted effort. Tris knows that beating Will sat heavy with the former Candor. She even heard him crying after lights out. Christina, on the other hand, has a new fire and determination after being hung over the chasm. Something Eric said must have resonated with the girl. Either that or the victory of surviving her chasm hang encouraged her, because she's ready to fight, in spite of Al's imposing stature.

After a few minutes of sparring, Al drops to the mat, seemingly unconscious. Tris doesn't believe it, and by the looks on their faces, neither do the trainers.

"Winner, Christina," Eric says unenthusiastically as Four circles her name on the chalkboard. "Next fight, Peter and Tris."

Tris walks toward the mats. "He steps right before he throws," Edward says quietly as she walks past him and Myra.

"Elbows and knees, you got this," Four says quietly as he lifts the ring for Tris to climb in.

The fighting ring's floor is slightly springy, and Tris bounces a little as she gets used to the feeling and takes a fighting stance.

"You look like you're gonna cry, Stiff," Peter taunts. "Maybe I'll go easier on you if you do."

"Shut up and fight!" Eric yells.

Peter lunges at Tris, stepping before he swings, just like Edward said. Tris easily dodges the first punch, and makes a mental note that she could get an elbow into Peter's middle if he tries that again.

Fortunately, he does, and Tris slams her elbow into his ribs. Unfortunately, she doesn't get out of the way in time, and he tackles her as he falls to the mat.

Peter grabs Tris by the throat and slams her head into the floor. She sees stars, but manages to jerk her knee into the boy's crotch in a move that has every male in the room cringing.

Peter groans as he rolls off of Tris. She jumps to her feet, though she sways a little from the pain in her head and the unstable floor surface. That gives Peter enough of a break that he jumps to his feet as well.

_Blows to the head stun,_ Tris thinks. _But how do I hit the head of a taller opponent?_

Peter pretends to lunge toward Tris, and she falls for the feint. Peter's foot meets her ducking side, and Tris hears a crack as intense pain shoots through her body.

She staggers, but does not fall as she gasps for air. She sees Four leaving the room, but doesn't see the blow to her temple that knocks her out cold.

.

xxxx

.

Hana Pedrad has worked in the Dauntless infirmary for 22 years - ever since her own initiation. She has seen broken bones, cuts and bruises, and more concussions than she can count. But as she treats initiate Tris Prior, she sees something that she has only seen on two other occasions - double soulmarks. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, Tris' marks are in the same location on her body that the others were.

Hana picks up the phone and calls the leadership office to report the anomaly. "Eric," she says to the young leader when he answers the phone, "this is Hana in the infirmary. I need to see you about one of the initiates. You better bring Four." She hangs up before the young man has a chance to ask any follow-up questions.

Just moments later the two young trainers come running into the infirmary, skidding to a halt in the waiting area.

"Is she okay?" Four asks breathlessly.

"Can she continue training?" Eric adds.

Hana chuckles to herself. "Come with me," she says.

She leads the men into a hospital room. There they find Tris, badly bruised and unconscious, looking small and frail in the big white hospital bed.

"Tris has a cracked rib and a concussion," Hana says, "plus a number of bruises. She will recover. She'll be sore tomorrow, and will need several days away from fighting, but she'll be fine after that. I'm keeping her here overnight."

"That's fine," Four says. "Tomorrow we're not fighting, and the day after that is Visiting Day, so they get that day off anyway. Will she be okay to get on and off the train tomorrow night? It's capture the flag."

"I'm not sure," Hana hedges. "That's up to her. We've done what we can, now her body just needs to heal."

"Why did you drag us down here if she's going to be fine?" Eric snarls.

"There's something you need to see," Hana explains, moving toward the bed. "Get close."

Four follows Hana to Tris' side, near her right hand, while Eric stands on the injured girl's left. The medic carefully scoots Tris' hospital gown up, then inches the blanket down, revealing Tris' right hip.

Four sees the words, "What's your name?" in his own handwriting in Abnegation grey on her hip. It's the same place where his hip also has grey letters, but his just says "Um."

Hana holds up a finger before Eric can voice his objections to being called down to see a simple soulmark. She covers the grey mark and carefully reveals Tris' other hip, where she has a blue mark. "Welcome to Dauntless," Eric sees in his own blocky handwriting.

The young leader swears under his breath.

"Double soulmarks are very rare," Hana says. "I've only seen it twice before. Do you know where?"

"Us?" Eric guesses, knowing he's one of them and assuming Four must be the other.

"Yes," says Hana. "Do you recognize your handwriting?"

The men both nod, then glare at one another across the hospital bed.

"But her grey mark is on her right hip," Four objects, grasping for a way out of the situation. "My grey mark is on my left. They're supposed to be the same."

Hana sighs, knowing the two men aren't going to like what she says next. "If you put your Abnegation grey mark next to Tris' grey mark, then you both have blue marks on your other side. So an Erudite-born with two grey marks would complete the circle."

Eric swears again, and Four looks up at him in shock. "_You_?" Four asks in shock.

Eric slides the waistband of his pants low enough to reveal his hip. There, in neat, feminine grey script is the word "me."

"I looked right at her when I welcomed the new initiates," Eric explains, gently sliding a finger over the blue letters on Tris' exposed hip. "Then I asked who wanted to jump first, and she said…"

"Me," Four finishes. "Then she jumped, and when I helped her out, I asked for her name, and she hesitated. My grey mark says 'Um.'"

Eric swears again. "I'm afraid to ask what your blue mark says."

"It says 'Watch out, Stiff,'" Tobias tells Eric. "What does your other mark say?"

"Shut up," Eric replies.

Four and Hana stare at Eric for a moment. He rolls his eyes and peels back his pants on the left side, revealing the words, "Shut up." They nod in understanding, and Four gets a twinkle in his eye, but quickly suppresses it.

"How is this possible?" Four asks Hana mournfully. "I don't like guys, and I really don't like him."

"Yeah," says Eric. "I've had some, uh, _adventures_, and fun is fun, but I'm not into guys either. Especially not him."

"I don't know what to tell you," Hana says. "You're the only ones I've ever seen with double marks. They all line up, and you both know that your first interactions with Tris are right. I know the two of you don't get along, but you certainly both seem drawn to Tris. I saw the way you came rushing in here when I called you."

"What do we do?" Eric asks.

"_Nothing_," Four says firmly. "We do _nothing_. She's an initiate and we're her trainers. We train her. _That's all_." With that, Four storms out of the room.

….

**A/N: Okay, readers. I gave you a chapter a day to get the ball rolling. But it's getting real in here, so I've dropped back to weekly updates as originally planned. I think update day will be on Tuesdays. Just a reminder, I don't own anything and I'm not making any money doing this. I'm just having fun and enjoying a creative outlet that allows me to spend more time with characters I liked. This story is completely written, and it's 30 chapters plus a brief epilogue. **

**Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. They brighten my day!**

**XOXO,**  
**Libby**


	6. Chapter 6: Tobias & Eric

**So many nice reviews, follows, and favorites! Thank you all! Have a bonus early update**

**XOXO,**

**Libby**

.

Leaving the infirmary, Four runs directly to his secret spot by the chasm. There are no cameras there, and no other camera can get a glimpse of the area. The roar of the river is loud enough to drown out the sounds of the compound, making Four feel the peace of solitude that he can't find anywhere else in Dauntless.

_I came here to get away from this stupid soulmate business, and instead I walked right into it!_ Four thinks, tugging on his hair and wishing he had some liquor to drown out reality.

Tobias "Four" Eaton left Abnegation in part to get away from his abusive father, and in part because of his soulmarks. He had seen his whole life how soulmates could mess everything up, and he wanted no part of it. His parents, Abnegation council head Marcus Eaton and Evelyn (Johnson) Eaton were both born in Abnegation. Both had grey soulmarks on their right shoulders. Evelyn's said "mama" in simple printing. "Mama" and "Dada" are common soulmarks among people who have known each other their whole lives. Marcus' grey mark sits higher on his shoulder, and says "no."

Because of the nature of their markings, and the fact that they grew up together, it was impossible for Tobias' parents to pinpoint their first interaction. Because both marks were so small, just two and four letters, they couldn't even judge the handwriting.

Tobias always questioned whether or not his parents truly were soulmates. The marks were vague. Marcus' sits on the top of his shoulder, where Evelyn's had been more to the front. But most compelling of all was the abuse. In Tobias' mind, no soulmate would treat their match the way Marcus treated Evelyn.

_But no parent should treat their own child the way Marcus had treated Tobias, either._

One of Marcus' go-to tirades when he beat his son was Tobias' strange double markings. Sometimes Marcus would rant about his son's apparent future loose morality, calling him a bigamist. He would go on and on about how no son of his would end up defecting to Amity, where rumor had it you could have more than one wife. Other times Marcus would claim that Tobias' double soulmarks indicated that he was bisexual. That was another unacceptable explanation in Marcus' narrow views, thus another excuse to beat his son.

Tobias hates his soulmarks. He hates their vagueness. He hates having two. He hates the marks for all the beatings they fueled. And now that he knows one of them probably ties him to his rival, Eric, he hates them more than ever.

.

xxxx

.

After Four leaves and Hana returns to her rounds, Eric stays with Tris, watching her sleep.

Erudite has long had a rivalry-like relationship with Abnegation. Because of this, Eric's mother had suppressed her Erudite urge for research and exploration, and never told anyone about her son's double grey soulmarks. The last thing Eric's mother wanted was for other people to start calling her only son a "Stiff lover." Because of this, Eric knew from a young age that the grey words on his hips had to remain a secret.

His otherwise nurturing mother's disapproval and his own self-loathing made Eric an angry young man. He blamed himself and his grey soulmarks for his father leaving when he was a baby. He picked fights in school. He fixated on preparing himself for a life in Dauntless, as no Abnegation had ever transferred to the warrior faction.

Eric had been shaken when Tobias Eaton transferred, and had almost decided to stay in Erudite. If Tobias had been a female transfer, Eric knows he would have stayed In his home faction. But Tobias was male, and Eric had never been attracted to other men, so he decided to go through with his plan.

The two transfers had a legendary rivalry during initiation. Four had the upper hand after day one fear landscapes revealed that he only had four fears, but Eric got through his twelve with lightning speed. In physical training, Four was on the winning team in capture the flag. Eric set a new Dauntless record for field stripping and reassembling a weapon. Four was a natural at knife throwing. Eric had more accuracy with guns. At the end of phase one, the two transfers were tied for first place going in to their final fight.

To break the tie, their trainer, Amar, pitted Four and Eric against one another. The fight was an epic grudge match that is still discussed around the Dauntless compound. The two initiates exchanged blows for more than thirty minutes straight. They kicked, punched, and grappled, landing and ducking blows until both boys were bruised and bloodied. Then Four landed a lucky punch, at least in Eric's opinion.

The former Erudite woke up in the infirmary several hours later with a missing tooth, a cracked rib, and a concussion. Most painful of all was the bruise to his ego knowing he was now in second place, and that he had been beaten by a stiff.

During the second phase of their initiation, Eric actually passed Four again. As the initiates faced their fears one at a time, Eric was faster getting through his. Four had one particular fear that constantly tripped him up, and Eric suspected that the Erudite reports of Marcus abusing his son were true. Even though Four was his rival, Eric hated the idea of anyone abusing their child, and he found himself feeling less animosity toward the other initiate.

The uneasy peace between the boys snapped when their trainer, Amar, was found dead. For whatever reason, Four believed that Eric had a role in the trainer's death. The accusation combined with their ongoing competitiveness in a volatile mixture that guaranteed the two young men would never be able to let go of their feud.

When their final rankings were revealed, Four's small number of fears and that lucky shot in their fight pushed him ahead of Eric, and the former Abnegation finished first. Eric was devastated. All he had wanted was to prove that he belonged in Dauntless by securing a leadership position.

Eric hated Abnegation. Like most Erudite, he felt that selflessness, or pretended selflessness, was no reason to give someone power. He felt that power should belong to the smart or the strong, because they would know what to do with it and how to hold on to it. He hated Abnegation because of his soulmarks. And he hated Abnegation because he was beaten by Four.

Then Eric got a surprise, and Four actually declined a leadership position. In an uncharacteristic move, Max offered the position to Eric. Usually only the first ranked got a shot at leadership. In the end, Eric got what he wanted, but he never got past the chip on his shoulder, and the need to continually prove his worth.


	7. Chapter 7: War Games

**A/N: Uploading chapters is tedious. I finally got this whole story uploaded, so here's another chapter to celebrate! I'm on an epic emotional roadtrip next week (taking my firstborn to college...), but I'll try to get you at least one more chapter while I'm on the road.**

**XOXO,  
Libby**

.

"Everybody up!" Eric roars, waking the roomful of transfer initiates. "You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks; we're going on another field trip."

Tris and her cohort dress quickly and make it to the tracks just behind the Dauntless-born initiates. Next to the tracks is a black pile of boxes. Written on them is the word "PAINTBALLS."

"Everyone grab a gun!" shouts Eric, and the initiates rush to obey.

A circle of light appears to the left. _The train_, Tris thinks. The light grows larger as it comes closer, and everyone prepares to jump. Four is the first to get on the train, and he holds out a hand to Tris, pulling her in.

Once everyone is in, Four speaks. "We'll be dividing into two teams to play capture the flag. Each team will have an even mix of members, Dauntless-born initiates, and transfers. One team will get off first and find a place to hide their flag. Then the second team will get off and do the is a Dauntless tradition, so I suggest you take it seriously."

"Four and I will be your team captains," says Eric. He looks at Four. "Let's divide up transfers first, shall we? I'll go first."

"You went first last year," Four says. Eric shrugs, but by the tense set of his jaw, Tris can tell he's not happy. "I want the Stiff," Four says nonchalantly.

A few people snicker, and Tris blushes.

"Picking the weak ones so that if you lose, you'll have someone to blame?" Eric taunts, but Four just shrugs.

Edward, Peter, Molly, Al, and Myra end up with Eric. Will, Christina, and Drew join Tris on Four's team. The trainers divide up the Dauntless-born initiates, and then the members. As they do, Tris tries to determine their strategies. Four's team, with a few exceptions, have narrow shoulders, and small frames. All the people on Eric's team are broad and strong. Tris thinks that Four's strategy will work better for capture the flag - a game of speed rather than brute force.

They finish choosing teams, and Eric smirks at Four. "Your team can get off second," says Eric.

"Don't do me any favors," Four replies. He smiles a little. "You know I don't need them to win."

"No, I know that you'll lose no matter what," says Eric. "Take your scrawny team and get off first, then."

Just before they jump, someone shoves Tris' shoulder, and she almost falls out of the train car.

"Watch it, Hayes!" Eric roars. "We take this game seriously, but not 'murder your fellow initiate' serious. Don't be a dick."

Tris is surprised by Eric's defense, and flashes him a quick smile of gratitude as she jumps from the train car.

"Let's hide the flag at Navy Pier," a tall Dauntless-born initiate calls out. He has brown skin and dark eyes, and a broad, winning smile. "My brother's team won there. They kept the flag at the carousel."

No one objects, so the group walks toward a strip of land that juts out into the marsh. They stop at a dilapidated carousel, and Four takes the flag out of his pocket.

"In ten minutes, the other team will pick their location," he says. "I suggest you take this time to formulate a strategy. We may not be Erudite, but mental preparedness is one aspect of your Dauntless training."

Will takes the flag from Four, and everyone bursts into conversation at once, their voices louder with each passing second. Four sits down on the edge of the carousel, leaning against a plastic horse. His eyes lift to the sky, as if praying for patience.

Tris looks over her shoulder to make sure no one is watching, then slips away from the group, walking toward the Ferris wheel. She puts her weight on the lowest rung to test its strength, and jumps to make sure it will hold up.

"Tris," a low voice says behind her.

She looks back and sees Four standing behind her with his gun slung across his back.

"Yes?" she says in her best innocent voice.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asks.

"I'm seeking higher ground," she says.

She begins to climb, and the instructor follows. As they ascend, Tris hears his breathing behind her, loud and fast. "Are you all right, Four?" she asks.

"Are you human, Tris? Being up this high…" He gulps for air. "It doesn't scare you?"

"You're afraid of heights," Tris says as she reaches a platform and stops to rest. "How do you survive in the Dauntless compound?"

"I ignore my fear," he replies. "When I make decisions, I pretend it doesn't exist."

They look out toward the city, but a building stands in their way. "We're not high enough," Tris says. "You don't have to follow me."

"Yes, I do," he says.

They climb higher, and when they look at the city again, the building isn't in the way. For a few seconds Tris sees only a dark blanket over the land, just faint differences between buildings, ground, and sky.

"See that?" she says eagerly, pointing at a tiny light. Four reaches Tris, then stops climbing and looks over her shoulder.

"It's coming from the park at the end of the pier," he says. "Figures. It's surrounded by open space, but the trees provide some camouflage."

They start climbing back down the Ferris wheel, when suddenly a bar creaks, then comes loose in Tris' hand. She's left dangling from the scaffolding, swinging in midair.

"Hold on!" Four shouts, climbing back up to where Tris hangs.

The trainer is tall, so he's able to keep his feet and left hand secured on sturdy rungs while his right arm circles Tris' middle, gripping her left hip. Supported by Four, Tris reaches down for the next rung below her and lowers herself to where she can secure her feet as Four shifts his weight to a lower rung.

"Thank you," Tris says in a shaky voice.

For the rest of the climb to the ground, Four doesn't let Tris get away from him. His feet lower a rung and his hands drop from her shoulder height to her waist height, then her feet descend from the bar at his middle to the bar by his thighs. Thus overlapped, they carefully pick their way to the ground, never letting the other out of grabbing reach.

When they touch the ground, Tris resists the urge to hug her trainer. "Come on," she says instead, "time to get their flag."

They start toward the carousel, where their team members guard their flag. "We know where they are!" Tris announces.

"You do?" asks Christina, looking from Four to Tris.

"Yes, while the rest of you were twiddling your thumbs, Tris climbed the Ferris wheel to look for the other team," Four says. "Do you have a plan, Tris?"

"Split in half," she says. Tris lays out her plan, and the team agrees to implement it.

.

xxxx

.

The train ride back to Dauntless is a noisy affair. Christina and the tall Dauntless-born, Uriah, entertain everyone with tales of Tris' daring climb up the Ferris wheel.

A heavy presence behind her gets Tris' attention, and she looks over her right shoulder to see Four leaning on a wall, staring in her direction warily. She glances over her left shoulder and sees Eric close behind her. "Nice job, Stiff," the leader says in a dark but genuine tone.

"Thanks," Tris replies confidently.


	8. Chapter 8: Conversations

On the day after capture the flag, the initiates are allowed to sleep in for the first time since arriving at Dauntless. Coming from Abnegation, Tris has never been allowed the lazy, self-indulgent privilege, so she wakes at her usual time, but stays quietly on her bunk to avoid disturbing the others.

Eric enters the dorm while everyone else is asleep. Normally he would relish waking the initiates, but when he sees that Tris is the only one awake, he decides to get to know her a little bit.

"Good morning," the leader says quietly. His deep voice makes Tris shiver, and she instinctively pulls the thin covers higher.

"Are you cold?" Eric asks, his voice quiet and surprisingly genuine in its concern.

"I'm fine," Tris says, her voice still weak and sleepy.

"May I sit?" Eric asks, pointing to the edge of her bunk.

Tris realizes that she can't very well say no to her trainer and faction leader, so she nods as she scoots to the far edge of the mattress.

"How are you feeling?" Eric asks, willing himself not to reach for Tris' hand as he sits on the edge of her bed. He had no idea that the magnetic pull of his soulmate would be this strong, and he wonders if she can feel it too.

"I'm fine," Tris says in answer to his question.

"Don't be a stiff," Eric chides gently. "You had a concussion and a cracked rib after your fight with Peter, and the next day you were jumping on and off of trains. Are you sore? Dizzy?"

"I really am fine," Tris insists, wiggling her fingers that itch to reach out and trace the young leader's tattoos. _What is wrong with me?_ she wonders. _I have never wanted to touch a man before, but it's like my fingers have a mind of their own!_

"Erudite's new healing serum works wonders, doesn't it?" Eric asks, trying to prolong the conversation, even if it is awkward.

Tris nods. "Can I touch your tattoos?" she blurts out, then slaps her hands over her mouth as if it had spoken without her permission.

Eric chuckles. _Yup,_ he thinks. _She feels it too._ Rather than answer, the young leader reaches for Tris' hand. His fingers tingle as they brush across her knuckles, enveloping her hand in his and pulling it away from her mouth. He gently places her palm on his forearm, and she strokes the black ink.

"I… I thought I'd be able to feel your tattoo," she says, growing bolder as she traces the black lines.

"You can when they're new," he says. "But once it heals it's just part of your skin." _...like a soulmark_, he wants to add, but stifles the impulse. "I take it you don't have any tattoos?"

"Not yet," Tris replies. "I want to, but I'm afraid a new tattoo or piercing would be a liability as long as we're fighting. I heard they're tender for a while."

"That's very smart," Eric says. More than anything he wants to stroke Tris' cheek, kiss her soft-looking lips, and pull her into his arms. But that would undoubtedly freak her out, and the other initiates will be waking up soon.

"I'll tell you what," Eric says conspiratorially, "today is Visiting Day. Tomorrow is a field trip to the fence and Amity. The day after that are the final exams with guns, knives, and physical fitness. You have three whole days before you're fighting again. I wouldn't recommend a piercing yet, but that's enough time for a tattoo to heal - provided it's not too big."

"Why are you telling me this?" Tris asks, biting nervously on her bottom lip in a way that makes Eric want to groan.

He reaches over and gently frees her lip with his thumb, then doesn't let go of her chin. "You surprise me," he says. "I like watching you become more and more Dauntless."

"Now," he says, standing up, "if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to being a hard-ass initiate trainer."

Tris smiles as Eric winks at her before he bangs on an exposed pipe to wake the transfers and warn them about appearing too attached to their families on Visiting Day.

.

xxxx

.

After watching Christina and Will introduce their families to their soulmate, and spending a little time with her mother, Tris is riding high. She decides to trust Eric and go ahead with a tattoo.

At the tattoo parlor, she reunites with Tori, the Dauntless woman who administered her aptitude test.

"How is initiation going?" Tori asks.

"Good!" says Tris, as she looks through the books of tattoo designs. "Is this Eric's tattoo?" she asks, pointing at an image.

"Yup," says Tori, proudly. "Its an original design I did just for him. But you're looking in the wrong book. Those are my custom jobs, not things you can choose from."

Tris switches to looking through the indicated book, and selects an image of three ravens in flight. She asks Tori to put them on her collarbone as a reminder of the family she left behind. While the older woman works, Tris allows herself to relax.

"Have you met any cute boys?" Tori asks. "Maybe your soulmate? I heard there was a match made on the first day."

Tris shakes her head. "That's Christina and Will," she says.

"Do you have a soulmark?" Tori asks.

"Um, yeah," Tris says, hesitating.

"What's the matter?" Tori asks.

"Can you keep something to yourself?" Tris asks, desperate to talk to someone about her situation.

"Sure," Tori says.

"I, um, I kind of have two marks," Tris says. "But I don't think I'll ever meet either of them. I find myself crushing on guys that aren't my match, and I just, I don't know. I don't think I'm... I don't think I'm meant to be happy."

Tori sets down her tattoo gun and hugs Tris, handing the younger woman a tissue for her tears.

"Even with a soulmark, love has a way of surprising you," Tori says gently.

"It would take a pretty big surprise," Tris says cynically. "One of them is grey, so I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed. The other says 'welcome to Dauntless,' and though I heard that several times when I got here, the words are blue, and neither of the Erudite boys in my class said it."

Tori chuckles. "Maybe your Erudite-born wears black now. There are quite a few of us in Dauntless."

"You were Erudite?" Tris asks.

"Yup," Tori says. "I've been here five years now. I transferred with my brother, George. He was divergent, like you. Back then Erudite was actively hunting the divergent, so we fled to Dauntless. Unfortunately, they were already watching George, so when he got too good in the second phase of training, they… they killed him."

Tris gasps.

"They said it was suicide, but I knew better. George was happy. Back then people would disappear or suddenly turn up dead, and we knew it was because they were divergent. Five years ago it was Georgie. Two years ago my friend Amar died suspiciously. He was the initiate trainer then. In fact, that was the year your trainers went through initiation."

"And that changed last year?" Tris asks. "When Erudite leadership changed?"

"Right," Tori says, "but I would still keep your divergence to yourself. Prejudices take a long time to change."

Tris nods. "For a former stiff, it seems I have a lot of secrets."

Tori agrees and switches to a lighter topic as she finishes Tris' tattoo.

When she's finished, Tris meets her friends in the pit for some shopping, and lets Christina talk her into some more fitted clothing items, as well as a little makeup.

When they're walking back to the dorm in their new attire, Tris' tattoo on display in her new v-neck top, they run into Four and some of his friends drinking in the pit.

"Instructor alert," Christina giggles, pointing them out.

Tris tries to sneak by, but she can't take her eyes off Four. Apparently he can't look away from her, either, and her clear grey-blues lock on to his bleary ocean blues as they walk past.

When they get past him, he calls out. "Tris!"

She stops, but encourages Christina to go on without her. Four weaves drunkenly toward her.

"You're not supposed to see me like this," he slurs, wagging a finger at his student.

"What?" she asks. "Drunk?"

"Yeah," he says. "No. I mean, like, you know… real."

"Well, I won't tell if you don't," Tris says.

"It's a deal," Four slurs, leaning in for an awkward hug.

Tris returns the trainer's hug. It feels warm and safe in spite of the fact that he's sloppy drunk.

Pulling back, Four pats Tris' cheek. "I have two, too," he says.

That makes no sense to Tris. "You have a tutu?" she questions, "like a ballet dress?"

"No, no," Four giggles - actually giggles. "I have two, too." He holds up two fingers as if that explains everything.

"Okay…" Tris says. "Like two plus two is four?"

"Not this time!" he laughs again. "This time two plus two plus two equals three, and that _sucks_! I didn't even want _one_, and I got _two_! But you're still an initiate, so I can't tell you about that yet."

Tris sees Eric across the room and desperately waves him over. When he approaches, Four looks at him with a warning on his face. "She's an initiate," Four slurs. "She doesn't know about the secret."

"What is he talking about?" Eric asks.

"I have no idea," Tris says. "Something about tutus and bad math where two plus two equals three."

"No!" Four interjects. "Two plus two plus two equals _three_. One, two, three," he says pointing at himself, Eric, and Tris as he counts. "And it_ sucks!_"

"Yes, bad math sucks," Tris says patronizingly.

"You look good, Tris," Four slurs.

"I think you've had enough," Eric interjects.

"I don't want you," Four whines as Eric puts an arm around him to guide him away from their initiate.

"I don't want you either," says Eric, "yet here we are. Let's get you to bed."

"Keep him away from the chasm!" Tris calls to Eric as he leads Four away.

"No promises!" Eric calls back, grinning at Tris over his shoulder.

She waves, and Four waves back. As silly as it is, Tris can't help but wish she was going with the two men for more drinks, bad math, and laughs.


	9. Chapter 9: Butter Knives

**A/N: I'm loving all the reviews. Thank you! I have plenty of surprises in store for you. Enjoy!**

**XOXO, Libby**

Other than Four's obvious hangover, the field trip to Amity and the wall is uneventful. So is their day of testing on weapons. Tris finishes third after Edward and Will on the field strip and reassembly test. She's in the middle of the group for marksmanship, which Edward and Peter win. She comes in first on knife throwing.

Physical fitness is where Tris is weakest. All of the other transfers can do more pushups and sit-ups than she can, and most of them run faster. But they're also tested on how much they've improved over what they could do on day one, so Tris hopes her progress will boost her score.

The last day of phase one is their final fight, and Tris is paired with Molly. In spite of the other girl's dominant size, Tris is glad. Molly is a bully who has taken every opportunity to body shame and belittle Tris. She hid the smaller girl's clothes while Tris was showering. She made a series of rude remarks about Abnegation in general, and the Priors specifically. She even suggested that Tris' parents had neglected and abused their "unlovable" daughter.

When the two girls enter the ring, Tris frees her rage and decimates her opponent in spite of the size difference. When Molly is unable to continue fighting, Eric has to physically stop the fight by dragging Tris off the defeated bully.

After dinner, the transfers wait in the dorm until their trainers arrive with a poster board showing the current ranks. Tris is thrilled to see her name in the number five slot of the nine transfers. Even if all of the Dauntless-borns outranked them, Tris, Christina, Will, Peter, and Edward are safe.

Molly and Drew, ranked sixth and seventh, are furious. Myra and Al, ranked eighth and ninth, are worried. As the arguing and crying commence, Tris slips out of the dorm room.

She wanders the halls of Dauntless until curfew, then sneaks back into the dorm. Most of the initiates are already in bed, their tears and tantrums over. Tris slips off her shoes and climbs into bed fully dressed. She tries to sleep, but can't.

Just as she's starting to drift off, a piercing scream rips through the dorm. Someone flips on the light, and when her eyes adjust, Tris sees Edward writhing on the floor in a pool of blood. Myra is sitting in her own bed, screaming her lungs out.

Tris lurches out of bed and is at Edward's side in a second. "Will!" she yells. "Go get help! Christina, get Myra calmed down. The screaming isn't helping!"

Will bolts from the room, and Christina wraps Myra in a hug, turning her face away from Edward.

Tris moves Edward's hands away from the object lodged in his eye, which appears to be a butter knife. "Get it out!" he screams. "Get it out!"

Tris speaks soothingly to the injured boy, even as her own tears run freely down her face. "Don't touch it," she says. "Help is coming. It will be okay. Just focus on breathing. You'll be fine." Logically, Tris has no idea if anything will ever be alright again, but she says so to soothe the panicked and pained boy laying in a pool of his own blood.

Medics arrive from the infirmary and take Edward and Myra away. The other initiates wander back to their bunks, but make no attempt to go back to sleep, or even shut off the light. Christina joins Will in his bed.

For several long minutes, Tris just sits and shivers, chilled by horror and the blood that wets her clothes. Eventually she climbs to her feet and walks to the bathroom for towels. She leaves a trail of red footprints on the hard floor as she walks back and forth, grabbing clean paper towels from the bathroom and depositing the bloodied ones in the trash. When the towels have nothing else to soak up, Tris switches to wet, soapy towels, washing the floor like her sanity depends on getting it cleaned up - and it just might.

Hearing the news that a transfer initiate was stabbed, Eric and Four both rush to the dorms, nearly colliding as they reach the door at the same time. Eric yanks it open, and their eyes dart around the room. Christina and Will are huddled in a bunk, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as Christina sobs. Al and, surprisingly, Molly, also look like they've been crying. Drew looks shocked, his pale skin even whiter than usual. Peter sports an innocent expression that instantly sets Eric's teeth on edge. Tris is on the floor, shaking violently and wiping at the cold concrete with a wet towel.

Four notices that her black clothes appear wet. Eric notices the blood on her shaking hands. The two men look at one another and nod.

"Stiff," Eric says. Tris doesn't seem to hear him, though every other eye in the room snaps to him.

"Tris!" he tries a little louder. Still no reaction or recognition.

"Beatrice," Four says, trying the name he knows her parents used for her.

Tris' head pops up, and she glances around. When her eyes land on the two trainers, her lip starts to quiver, and her entire body shakes more violently.

"Tris, we need to take you to the infirmary," Four says firmly but gently.

"No, no, no," Tris mutters, shaking her head. "All this blood… Edward… blood… I have to clean this up." She gestures at the floor, but the only blood visible is what her dirty clothes are smearing when she moves.

Four cautiously moves closer, and kneels beside Tris on the floor. "Will you come with me, Beatrice?" Four asks. "I need your help. Can you help me?"

"Candor," Eric barks, pointing at Christina. "Get an outfit for the stiff."

Christina unfolds herself from Will's arms and moves cautiously to Tris' foot locker. She digs through the black clothing, considering the available items.

"Come on, Candor," Eric growls. "Pants, shirt, underwear, shoes. It's not a fashion show. As long as it's not soaked in blood, anything will do."

Christina hands Eric a pile of black fabric and Tris' sneakers.

"We'll take tomorrow off," Eric tells everyone. "Try to get some sleep."

The two men debate taking Tris to the infirmary, but they both know that the infirmary staff will have their hands full with Edward, and that there is little that the medics can do for Tris anyway. They decide to take her to Eric's apartment since it is both larger and closer than Four's.

Tris walks along between the two trainers zombie-like. Every once in a while she mumbles, but all they can make out is something about blood or Edward. When she stumbles on uneven ground, both men reach out for her arms. She grabs their hands, and that's when the tears start.

When they reach Eric's apartment, Tris is still unresponsive, just mumbling, crying, and shaking. Eric sits her in a wooden chair that won't be damaged by her bloody clothes.

"What do we do?" Four asks.

"She's in shock," Eric says. "Basically her brain is trying to protect itself from what she saw, and the adrenaline crash isn't helping. We need to get her cleaned up."

"How?" Four asks.

"I'd be happy to strip her down and give her a bath," Eric says sarcastically, "but I don't think she would appreciate it. Do you know if Hana is off tonight?"

"I think she's working," Four says. "But Shauna is around. I can go get her."

Eric nods, and Four bolts out the door, grateful for something productive to do. With the other man out of the room, Eric gives in to the pull that he's been fighting since he first saw his soulmate shaking on the dorm floor. He wraps his arms around Tris' small, soft body, and just holds her.

Tris sighs in Eric's arms. She feels warm and safe. She inhales his masculine scent, and things come into focus.

"Eric?" she asks, not relaxing her grip on the young leader.

"It's okay," he tells her. "I've got you. You're safe with me."

"Where are we?" Tris asks, alarm in her voice. "How did we get here?"

"You walked," he says, running his hands down her long blonde hair. "You were in shock, so Four and I brought you here."

"Where's here? And where's Four?"

"We're in my apartment," Eric explains, still not relaxing his hold. "Four went to get Shauna."

"Shauna?"

"His friend," Eric says. "She was in our initiate class. Her boyfriend is Four's friend, Zeke. You need to get cleaned up, and we figured you would prefer a female to help you."

"Oh!" Tris replies. "I can do it myself. I don't need help."

"You're a little shaky," Eric chuckles. "I would feel better if there was another woman here. In case you fall or something."

Tris nods against Eric's shoulder, and the two just sit until the door opens and Four walks in with a dark-haired girl.

"How is she?" Four asks.

"Better," Eric says, pulling away from Tris, but keeping his hands on her shoulders.

Tris reaches a hand toward Four, and he takes it, giving her a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze. "This is my friend, Shauna," he says.

"I'm Tris," she says, offering to shake hands in the typical Dauntless manner.

Shauna eyes Tris hand warily. "No offense," she says, "but let's get you cleaned up first."

Tris looks at her hand and sees the dry blood under her nails and embedded in her skin. "Good idea," she says. "I didn't realize how bad it was."

Eric shows the women to his bathroom. He gets out a garbage bag for Tris' stained clothes, a special gritty soap that's made for tough cleaning, as well as a clean, fluffy towel. Shauna stays in the bathroom with the younger woman until Tris reaches out of the shower and hands her the bag of bloodied clothes, assuring her that she will be fine on her own.

Shauna carries the bag of clothes to Eric, who takes it out to the garbage chute.

"Okay, what's going on?" she asks Four.

"I told you," he says. "One of the initiates got stabbed in the eye. Tris apparently took charge until help got there, then started cleaning up. She went into shock."

"Don't play dumb," Shauna says. "You're working together with Eric. You let that girl touch your hand. You're acting all… concerned. I think you like her."

"It's complicated," says Eric, standing in the doorway.

"Because she's an initiate?" Shauna asks.

"That's part of it," Eric says.

"I really can't talk about this," Four groans.

"Fine," Shauna huffs, "but this is not over."

"No, it's not," Eric says.


	10. Chapter 10: Fear

At her trainers' insistence, Tris spends the night in Eric's king-sized bed. Eric sleeps in his second bedroom, and Four stays on the leader's couch. In the morning the two men walk their initiate back to the dorm.

Christina flies at Tris as soon as she walks in. "Tris!" she squeals. "Are you okay? We went looking for you, but you weren't in the infirmary."

"Oh!" Tris exclaims. "I guess they decided I didn't need medical attention."

"Then where were you?" Christina asks, tilting her head like a curious puppy.

"Um, Eric's apartment?" Tris says, though it sounds more like a question.

"What!?"

"Four's friend Shauna was there," Tris says. "I, uh, took a shower and went to bed. I was pretty out of it."

"Four has a girlfriend? What was Eric's apartment like? Were you totally freaked out? I would be!"

"Chris!" Tris interrupts. "I don't really remember a lot. Eric said I was in shock. Shauna came so she could help me shower. And she's not Four's girlfriend. She's dating his best friend, or something like that."

"Did they say anything about Edward?" Christina asks.

Tris nods sadly. "They ended up taking him to the hospital at Erudite," she says. "He could come back and finish initiation since the physical part is done, but Myra was going to be cut anyway, so they chose to leave together. Once he heals up they'll be factionless."

"Woah," Christina says. "Do they know who did it?"

"They suspect Peter," Tris says.

"We all suspect Peter," Christina interjects.

Tris nods. "Unfortunately there's no proof, so they can't do anything. But Four said he's going to work on the video feeds and see if he can find anything."

.

xxxx

.

The initiates make the most of their extra day off, napping, shopping, doing laundry, and getting tattoos and piercings. Tris gets her ears pierced. She's amazed at the diagrams Tori and Bud have at the tattoo shop. She had no idea there were so many piercing locations on the human ear.

Because Edward and Myra left, only two initiates have to be cut. The bottom two are Dauntless-born, saving Al and Drew.

The next day is the beginning of phase two. As promised, the two groups of initiates are combined into one big group. Four vaguely describes the fear simulations, then calls Molly to follow him down the hall. Lauren calls a Dauntless-born, and they disappear as well.

The other initiates lounge around the waiting area. Some talk about the rankings. Some nap or make plans with their friends. The overall mood is pretty subdued as no one knows what to expect.

One by one the initiates are called, but none of them return. Eventually Tris is the last one in the room.

"Come on, Tris," Four finally calls. He places his large hand on her back to guide her down the hall, and Tris feels herself melt into the comfort of his touch.

"Sit," Four says when they reach a closet of a room with a metal reclining chair and a computer.

"What's the simulation?" Tris asks, trying and failing to keep her voice from shaking.

"Ever hear the phrase 'face your fears?'" he asks. "We take that literally."

He taps something, and Tris looks back to see what it is. Four holds a syringe with a long needle in one hand, his thumb against the plunger.

"An injection?" Tris asks.

"The serum induces a hallucination, and there's a tiny transmitter in it that sends data to the computer. You stay in the hallucination until you calm down—that is, lower your heart rate and control your breathing."

Tris feels the telltale signs of panic. Four plants his hands on either side of her head and leans close. "Be brave, Tris," he whispers as he administers the injection. "The first time is always the hardest."

Tris opens her eyes and finds herself in a field of dry grass. Around her is a crescendo of fluttering. A shadow swoops by. The sky darkens, like a cloud passing over the sun.

Tris looks up and sees a flock of crows diving toward her. Suddenly everything is outstretched talons and open beaks, squawking filling the air. She screams as they surround her, feathers flapping in her ears, beaks pecking at her shoulders, talons clawing at her clothes.

She screams and cries, twisting and wrenching until she falls to the ground, covering her head with her arms. Blood drips onto the grass.

"Help!" Tris wails. "Help!"

The crows flap harder, a roar of beating wings. Tris can't think, can't breathe. _I am dying_, she thinks. _It isn't real._ But it feels real, _it feels so real!_ _"Be brave,"_ Four's voice soothes in her memory. _"You stay in the hallucination until you can calm down." Calm down. I can't, I can't!_

_Breathe_. Tris forces her muscles to relax, willing herself to forget about the crows, and resigning herself to becoming a pecked carcass. The pain is overwhelming.

She opens her eyes, and is sitting in the metal chair, staring at her tense-looking trainer.

"Breathe," Four reminds Tris, handing her a cup of water.

"What the hell was that!?" Tris yells, throwing the cup across the room.

"How long do you think you were in there?" Four asks as he pecks away at the keyboard.

"An hour?" Tris says as tears fill her eyes. "Oh God, I'm in last place, aren't I? I'm going to fail initiation. I'm going to be sick!"

She leaps from the chair and dives for the garbage can, but nothing comes out. "Relax," Four says soothingly. "You're _not_ failing. You were in there for three minutes, Tris. _Three minutes._ The next best time was _nine_. You're _not_ failing."

Tris sobs, this time with relief. "Are… are there cameras in here?" she asks.

Four nods, and Tris' shoulders droop.

"Let me walk you back to the dorm," Four offers. Tris hears a cryptic note in his voice, so she doesn't object.

When he finishes tapping at the computer, Four walks Tris out of the room, his big hand warming the small of her back. When he nods at an alcove in the hall, Tris understands. No cameras.

As soon as the pair are safely out of camera range, Tris throws her arms around Four's midsection. He wraps his arms around her, too, holding her close to his chest.

"You always make me feel safe," Tris explains. "And I really needed a hug. Thank you."

Four swallows hard around the lump in his throat. _I make her feel safe_, he thinks in wonder.

"Yeah, um, I uh… Anytime. I guess," the instructor stammers, not letting go until Tris pries herself away.

When she does, she swipes at her eyes and looks up at Four. "How do I look?" she asks. "Can you tell I was crying?"

Four gingerly touches her chin, turning her head side to side as he examines her face. "You look tough as nails," he declares, making her smile.

.

xxxx

.

Every day the initiates go back into that room to be tortured. Every night they struggle to sleep. Most have nightmares. All have haunted eyes. Tris gnaws her fingernails down to nothing.

Watching their soulmate go through that, especially at their own hands, is hard on Eric and Four. Unconsciously they start seeking one another out. Four starts sitting with Eric at meals when Zeke and Shauna aren't available. When they run into one another in the pit bar, they have a drink together and end up shooting pool.

One night Lauren and Four come to Eric's apartment to discuss initiate ranks and progress. When the meeting ends and Lauren leaves, Eric offers Four a beer.

"You know, I chose Dauntless because there were no stiffs here," Eric says with a chuckle.

"I thought you came to hunt divergents," Four says.

"Divergents?" Eric asks. "No. Just because I'm from Erudite doesn't mean I came here on the former leadership's orders, or that I reported anything to them. Why would you think that?"

"I saw you," Four says. "On the night Amar died. He was telling me… uh… about divergents, and I saw you. I thought you were spying. And the next day he was dead."

"You thought I _killed_ him!?"

"No, not killed, really," Four says. "I just thought you ratted him out. Maybe like you told Erudite and they killed him."

"Wow," Eric says, shocked by the accusation. He takes a long pull from his beer. "And you're supposed to be my soulmate…"

"I am _not_ your soulmate!"

"Geez, Eaton, calm down," Eric says. "I'm not asking you to take your clothes off. I'm just surprised that someone who allegedly shares this deep bond with me would end up thinking the worst like that."

"One, Erudite was hunting divergents," Four says, ticking off points on his fingers. "Two, you were Erudite. Three, Amar told me he was divergent. Four, you were there. And five, he was gone the next day. What was I supposed to think?"

"Four, look at me," Eric commands. When their eyes meet, Eric continues. "I was a stupid, jealous kid who spied on you because I wanted to be number one. But I did _not_ tell a soul about Amar's divergence. I never hunted divergents. I never turned in divergents. I didn't speak to anyone in Erudite between our choosing ceremony and the first inter-faction leadership meeting I attended. I had _nothing_ to do with Amar's death."

Four nods at Eric's impassioned assertion, and Eric hands him another beer.

"I came to Dauntless because I hated Abnegation, and I hated these soulmarks. I didn't understand why I had two. Hell, I _still_ don't understand why I have two. I thought if I transferred to Dauntless I could avoid it all together."

"That's part of why I'm here, too," Four confesses with a dry laugh. "You've heard about my father's abuse - everyone who knows my real name knows about that. I transferred to get away from him. But I also left to get away from whomever matched my grey mark. Having two marks was the cause of a lot of my beatings. I don't want a soulmate at all, and instead I get two."

"You don't want a soulmate?" Eric asks. "Everyone wants a soulmate. It's the mythical one right person for you. It's certainty, and love."

Four shakes his head. "My parents were soulmates, and there was no certainty or love there."

"But... But what about Tris?" Eric asks. "Don't you feel drawn to her? She's like a magnet to me. I have to bite my tongue whenever she's around, just to stop myself from telling her everything!"

"I've never been interested in a girl before," Four says. "I mean, I'm a guy and all, but I've never been interested in a _relationship_ with anyone. The way I feel about Tris is completely different from anything I've ever experienced. I mean, I climbed the damn Ferris wheel with her during capture the flag, and I'm afraid of heights!"

Four stands abruptly and starts pacing Eric's living room. If they weren't mated with the same girl, watching Four sort out his feelings would be amusing. Instead, Eric feels a strange mixture of compassion and jealousy as he watches the other man pace.

"I… I just feel this raging desire to protect her!" Four says, raising his voice. "When you made her fight Peter, I had to leave the room or I was going to end up stopping the fight. When she's in the fear sims, I want to break through the screen and stand between her and danger. Some nights I can't sleep, so I go up to the control room and watch the feeds outside the dorm. It's that or go stand guard in person!

"I don't like to be touched. I know, I'm still a stiff that way. You don't have to say it. Stiffs don't touch, and Marcus' touch was always painful. But Tris… She can touch my arm or grab my hand and I don't flinch away. Heck, she hugs me after fear sims every day, and I actually look forward to it! She makes me feel powerful and useful.

"And you're even _worse!_ I remember meeting you. We jumped off the train and onto the roof, nearly colliding. You said my soul words, and I told you to shut up. That was the first time I ever defended myself. _Ever_. It didn't matter that you said my words, because you were a guy. They don't have open homosexuals in Abnegation, and I have never felt drawn toward other men anyway. Now I find out we match up, but I still don't like you like that! It confuses me and pisses me off!"

"What if there are different kinds of soulmates?" Eric suggests. "What if we're meant to be, like, brothers, comrades, or friends?"

"We've hated each other for so long," Four laughs.

"The problem is Tris," Eric says. "I don't even know what to say about her. I literally can't get enough of her. I just want to hold her and listen to her talk for hours. She has this fire about her that's just incredible. Can we share this feeling? I doubt it."

"You're forgetting something," Four adds. "She has no idea about any of this. I think all we can do is get her through initiation, then tell her the truth."


	11. Chapter 11: Loathing

Tris hates the fear sims as much as anyone. She may get through them faster, but that doesn't make them any less traumatic.

Around her, all of the initiates are flagging. They're not sleeping well. They have nightmares, and spend long hours staring into space. The afternoons of joking around and playing card games feel like a distant memory.

To make things worse, Tris hasn't seen Eric during phase two. As much as she tries to convince herself that he's just her leader and trainer, and a harsh one at that, she can't help craving his presence.

She sees Four daily, and she has no idea how she would survive the fear sims without his hug at the end. Somehow he makes her feel safe, and strong. He recognized her divergence from the sims, too, and assured her that she was safe in Dauntless, and that neither he nor Eric would ever let anything happen to her.

Today is the worst fear Tris has faced. It's the same as her recurring dream of being chased in the dark woods and forced to decide which path to take. She screams herself hoarse during the simulation, yelling "I already chose! I chose Dauntless! It's not up to me anymore! I can't! I chose Dauntless! What do you want from me?" until she collapses into a sobbing mess on the ground and gives in to the darkness.

It takes Tris over ten minutes to get through the sim, her worst score by far. It takes Four twice that long to comfort her afterward. The fear confuses Four. There were no monsters, no attackers, no obvious dangers that he could see. It was dark, and kind of creepy, but he couldn't understand how it could inspire the level of panic, and even anger that Four saw in Tris.

When he finally gets her settled and dropped off at the dorm, Four rushes to Eric's office. Without knocking, he walks in to the young leader's office and throws the day's initiate sim times on Eric's desk.

"I'm so glad phase two ends today," Four says, dropping into a chair across from Eric.

Glancing at the papers in front of him, Eric is surprised to see that Tris had a much higher time than usual. "What was her sim today?" he asks Four. "What took so long?"

"I don't know," replies Four, clearly agitated. "She was just… She was like running through the woods. It was dark, but it didn't seem like a big deal until she got to a fork in the road. When she had to go either left or right, she just lost it. Like really lost it! She started screaming about making choices and choosing Dauntless. She got out of it because she just fell on the ground sobbing until it passed. It took a long time to calm her down, too."

"What do you think it's about?" Eric asks.

"I have no idea," says Four. "But I'm warning you. When you have to watch her final test, it's pretty brutal. I've been doing sims for two years now, and I've never felt the way I do when it's Tris in there. I need a drink."

"Let's go post the stage two scores and get that drink," Eric agrees.

.

xxxx

.

After dinner in the cafeteria, the initiates rush back to the dorm to see their rankings for stage two. No one is getting cut, but the scores affect their final rankings, so they're eager for the update.

When Tris and her friends arrive at the dorm, they see the list of ranks and average sim times. Tris finds her own name right away, because it's on the top of the list. She reads through the rest of the names. Uriah is in second place. Peter is in third, but the time listed by his name is_ much_ higher than hers.

"Nice job, Tris," Will says quietly.

Peter turns slowly, every limb infused with tension. He glares at Tris with a look of pure hatred, then whips around and shoves her against a wall. "I will not be outranked by a _stiff_," he hisses.

"I'm just doing the best I can, like anyone else," Tris argues, pushing him off.

Peter and his friends storm out of the dorm. Christina and Will, who are ranked seventh and ninth, leave a minute later. Will pats Tris on the shoulder on his way out.

Tris and Al are left alone in the dorm. Al looks surprisingly small, his shoulders slumped and his body collapsing on itself like crumpled paper. He sits down on the edge of his bed. Tris wants to ask him if he's alright, but that would just a formality. Anyone with eyes can see that Al is not all right.

"It's not over," Tris says, trying to be comforting.

"Easy for you to say," Al moans.

Tris feels powerless to help him. She stands awkwardly as the big boy starts to cry. "I… I just… want to be alone," Al says.

Tris nods and turns away.

.

xxxx

.

After hours of racing thoughts, Tris rolls over and opens her eyes. The dormitory is dark and quiet with everyone in bed, but she can't sleep. She gets out of bed to get a drink of water. A bulb glows blue above the drinking fountain, and she wanders lazily toward it, then bends to take a drink.

Suddenly, someone grabs her from behind. She tries to scream, but a hand clamps over her mouth. She thrashes, and bites at the hand over her mouth, but the arms holding her are too strong.

"Ow!" a voice cries.

"Shut up and keep her mouth covered," says a familiar voice, _Peter_.

A blindfold covers Tris' eyes, a pair of hands tying it behind her. "I wonder what it sounds like when a stiff begs for mercy," Peter says with a chuckle. "Hurry up."

Tris clenches her teeth and breathes through her nose, trying to quell her fear. The soap smell on the hands holding her is familiar - lemongrass and sage, the same smell that surrounds Al's bunk. A weight drops into Tris' stomach. _Al_, she thinks. _My friend._

The crash of water against rocks alerts Tris that they are near the chasm. Peter's next words confirm the kidnappers' plan. "Lift her up, c'mon."

She thrashes and screams, even though she knows that no one can hear her above the roar of the chasm. Rough hands push her up and slam her back into something hard and cold - a metal railing. Her feet leave the ground, and her attackers are the only thing keeping her from falling into the water.

Someone gropes Tris' chest roughly. "You sure you're sixteen, Stiff? Doesn't feel like you're more than twelve," Peter says. The other boys laugh. "Wait, I think I found something!" he mocks, squeezing her hard.

Tris bites down on the first arm she can find. Her captor screams, and she clenches her jaw harder, tasting blood. The attackers retaliate by striking her face, and the boy holding her wrenches his arm away and throws her to the ground. She bangs her elbow against stone, and a foot drives into her side. She gasps and coughs, and claws at her blindfold. Someone grabs a handful of Tris' hair and slams her head against something hard, making her dizzy.

Tris gets the blindfold off and sees figures running around. She grabs the railing and hauls herself to her feet. Peter wraps a hand around Tris' throat and lifts her up, holding her over the chasm as spots appear on the edges of her vision. She hears a shout, and Peter releases her. She stretches out her arms as she falls, and her armpits slam into the railing. She hears thumps, kicks, and groans, but everything is a blur of motion, mist from the chasm, and blind panic.

Suddenly Tris recognizes one of the men fighting her attackers. "Four," she croaks.

Hands wrap around her arms, pulling her over the railing and against her rescuer's chest. She presses her face into the familiar shoulder. "Eric," she says.

"I got you, Baby," Eric says soothingly. "Four and I are here. You're safe now."

Tris nods against Eric's broad chest. He reaches down and scoops the injured girl into his arms, just as she passes out.


	12. Chapter 12: Recovery

**A/N: I'm loving all the reviews. I don't often reply directly, because I would just keep saying "you'll see!" As I mentioned in the beginning, this story is fully written. I hope you continue to enjoy it as it unfolds. Thanks for reading! **

**XOXO,**

**Libby**

xxxx

Eric has experienced an adrenaline rush many times. He's been ziplining. He's been in fights. He's faced his worst fears in sims. He's even led troops putting down riots in the factionless sector. But Eric has never experienced the blinding rage, panic, and deep, hollow fear that courses through him when he sees three masked men attacking Tris by the chasm.

After posting the initiates' rankings for stage two, Eric and Four had gone out for a drink, as planned. Two drinks in, Four had expressed his concern that Tris' fast sim times might put her at risk for an attack, and the two men discussed strategies for keeping her safe. By some unspoken understanding, both men had stopped drinking at that point. Even when Zeke came by and entertained them with his crazy stories, neither trainer took another drink.

Eventually, Four had become restless. "We need to go," he told Eric. The leader didn't argue, but Zeke did. He was in the mood to party, and wanted them to stay.

When they finally got free of their exuberant friend, the two men left the bar together. Walking quickly through the corridors, all Eric could hear was the slap of their shoes on the stone floor and the raging water in the chasm. But Four insisted that he heard a scream. Eric didn't question his friend, but followed him toward the bridge at the top of the rocky chasm.

Then Eric heard the scream as well, and his heart nearly exploded from the rush of emotion that filled it. Both men took off running.

The first thing Eric saw was a small, blindfolded figure, Tris, being held against the railing by two larger men in ski masks. A third masked man was in her face, saying something Eric couldn't hear. When the masked tormentor reached out and groped roughly at Tris' chest, Eric saw red.

He and Four ran at the men, and they dropped Tris. Two started running. Four caught one, while Eric chased the other. Remembering that Tris was still at the railing, he didn't pursue his foe, but went back for his soulmate.

At the railing, the third assailant had lifted Tris over the rail. Eric watched as if in slow motion, as the assailant dropped Tris and turned to run. Eric met the would-be murderer with a straight right that knocked him out cold. He had a lot more rage to take out on the attacker, but Tris,_ his Tris_, was hanging on for her life.

Eric pulled the girl over the railing and into his embrace. "Eric," she breathed in relief against his chest.

A few feet away, Four stood over two unconscious attackers. The third had gotten away, but Eric hopes Tris will know who he was so they can track him down.

.

Eric lifts Tris into his arms, cradling her small form like a baby. She wilts in his arms, unconscious, and Eric feels his heart drop.

"She needs help," he says to Four in a panicked voice.

"I'll deal with these two; you get her to the infirmary." Four says. The two men nod at one another, and Eric leaves with Tris as Four gathers the kidnappers' ropes and the blindfold so he can restrain them.

Eric tries not to jostle the injured girl in his arms as he hurries to the infirmary. He's relieved to see Hana Pedrad on duty. The older woman ushers him back to an exam room, then starts checking Tris' vital signs while she asks Eric what happened.

By the time Eric finishes recounting Tris' ordeal, Four has returned. The two men wordlessly reach for one another and stand side-by-side, arms over each other's shoulders. They stand as one, soldiers watching and guarding at the bedside of their soulmate. Hana's brows raise when she sees the change in their demeanor towards one another, but she doesn't say anything.

When Dauntless police come for a statement from Four about the prisoners he brought in, Eric stays with Tris.

"It seems you and Four are getting along better," Hana says.

"We have common interests," Eric replies, his eyes never leaving Tris' unconscious face.

"How does that work?" Hana asks curiously but gently.

"So far, she's our initiate and we're her trainers," Eric says. "I try not to think about what happens later."

"So the two of you both admit you're drawn to Tris, yet magically it doesn't put you at each other's throats?" Hana asks. "You two have feuded about much smaller things."

"I don't know," Eric admits. "We just… We understand each other. We have a lot in common. I'm not in love with him or anything, but maybe there's more than one kind of soulmate. Besides, how can I hate a man who is driven to protect the woman I love?"

"Love," Hana repeats quietly. "That's a big word."

"It's a big feeling," Eric says. "Kind of overwhelming."

"And when are the two of you going to let the young lady in on her situation?" Hana quizzes.

"We decided to let her get through initiation first," Eric says. "But tonight might change things. I had trouble staying away from her before, but now I really can't let her go back to the dorm. They… They nearly… killed her, Hana," Eric chokes out, fighting tears.

.

The pain is a constant throb in Tris' head, cheek, and ribs. She hears the murmur of soft voices and the sound of running water. Opening her bleary eyes, she is met with the sight of an infirmary room._ Again,_ she thinks, groaning.

She sees a familiar-looking medical worker at the foot of her bed. The woman's eyes dart from Tris to the sides of her bed, and she realizes that they are not alone. Trying not to move her aching head, Tris glances to her left and to her right. _Eric and Four_, she thinks, recognizing her rescuers in spite of her daze. Four props a knee on the mattress and leans over Tris, adjusting the ice pack under her head. Before he pulls away, Tris reaches out to touch the cut on the side of his lip.

"What happened?" she croaks in a weak voice. "Are you alright?"

"Tris," he says, speaking against her fingers, "I'm fine."

"Four deposited Drew in Peter at the detention center a half hour ago," Eric says from her other side. "They claimed they were just trying to scare you."

"You were hitting them," Tris says as the memories come back.

"They'll live," Four replies. He adds bitterly, "In what condition, I can't say."

"Good," Tris says, her voice tight and fierce.

Eric chuckles, relieved to hear her coherent and Dauntlessly angry. "Do you know who the third attacker was?" he asks gently.

Tris starts crying. Four rests his hand on the side of her face, his thumb skimming her cheekbone carefully, sliding back and forth. On her other side, Eric holds Tris' hand.

"You think it would be a bad idea if I sat up?" Tris asks, breaking the silence.

The trio look to Hana, who agrees with a nod. Four presses the button that raises the hospital bed. Pain rushes through Tris' body in sharp bursts, and she tries, but fails, to stifle a groan.

"You can let yourself be in pain," Eric says. "It's just us here, and we understand."

A sob jolts her body, and she presses her hand to her forehead, rocking back and forth. "Al…" she cries.

For a second both trainers are hurt, thinking their soulmate is crying for the friend she would rather have with her.

"Al was the third attacker?" Hana asks.

Another sob rips through Tris as she nods in agreement. "I thought he was my friend!" she cries. "What did I do to make him hate me?"

"He hurt you because your strength made him feel weak. No other reason," Four says firmly.

"I need to go report this," Eric says, giving Tris' hand a squeeze before reluctantly leaving the room. Hana informs them that she has to check on her other patients before she also leaves.

"What's going to happen?" Tris asks Four.

"They've already arrested Drew and Peter," he says. "From what I could tell, Drew and Al will be charged with assault, and Peter will be charged with assault and attempted murder. That could change depending on what you say and what we find on the security cameras."

"Will I have to go to court?" Tris asks, terrified at the thought.

"Probably," Four says. "Although with truth serum you probably won't have to testify or anything."

"I…" Tris starts, shaking at the thought of a trial. "I just… I don't… Al was my friend!" she says before sobs wrack her small frame again. Four hands Tris a tissue and lets her cry, gently stroking her hair. "I want Eric," she whimpers as the tears subside.

"I can go get him," Four says reluctantly.

"No!" Tris says, panicked. "Don't leave!" Four sits back down on the edge of Tris' bed. "I don't understand any of this, and it's probably the concussion or painkillers or something," she says, "but I just… I want you both to be here. You make me feel safe, and Eric makes me feel comforted. I just… I… I should shut up now before I embarrass myself even more than I have."

Four looks at Tris' embarrassed, blushing face. "It's okay," he says, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Fortunately for Tris, their awkward oversharing moment is cut short by a commotion coming from the waiting room. Slamming doors, raised voices, and general commotion reaches Tris' hospital room. Four marches to the door, a sentinel ready to protect her from whatever chaos is coming for them next.

"Where is she!?" screeches Christina's unmistakable voice.

Other voices join in the mix, and the next thing Four and Tris can make out clearly is Eric's roar of, "Sit down!"

A minute later, Eric appears in the doorway. "Four, I need a word with you," he says. His voice is no-nonsense and authoritative, but Tris hears a note of exhaustion, too. She glances around the room for a clock and sees that it's nearly four in the morning. _No wonder he sounds tired,_ she thinks.

When Eric returns a minute later, Four isn't with him. Tris watches his face carefully, but she can't find a single theme in the myriad emotions displayed in his tired grey eyes.

"Can I sit?" he asks gently, pointing at the bed.

Tris nods and painfully moves to make room for him beside her. Eric gingerly sits, then turns on his side facing Tris. "I'm so sorry," he says, resting his big warm hand on Tris' cheek.

Tris nods again, and tries not to cry. _What is it about Eric?_ she wonders. _I'm defenseless around him and my feelings just bubble to the surface._

"We went to the dorm to arrest Al," Eric says quietly, "but he wasn't there. They found him in the chasm, Tris. Al jumped."

The news hits Tris like a bolt of lightning. Every aching muscle in her body lurches and tenses as she sucks in a gasping breath. "No," she says, "no, no no. He's… Is he…"

"He's dead, Sweetheart," Eric confirms.

Tris turns quickly away from Eric, the pain in her heart momentarily surpassing the pain in her body, and vomits on the floor. Eric reaches for the call button while trying to soothe the sobbing, retching girl beside him.

Hana rushes in, assessing the situation in a glance. She opens a cabinet and takes out a syringe, removing the cap as she approaches Tris. Eric holds his soulmate still while the other woman slides the needle into her arm. The drug works fast, and in mere seconds Tris is oblivious, returned to the world of dreams and blissful unawareness.


	13. Chapter 13:Fight

For the next few days, Tris struggles. Her body is sore, her security shattered, and her heart broken by guilt and grief. Four, Eric, and the infirmary staff keep an eye on her until the healing serum knits her body together. Because he has to give the prescribed suicide funeral speech, Eric plans for Tris to be held in the infirmary long enough to miss it. Four stays with her that afternoon to ensure she won't have to hear the trite words about the "bravery" of Al's act of cowardice.

When she's released from the infirmary, Eric and Four have to turn over their guard dog duties to Christina. To her credit, the former Candor spent most of Tris' convalescence in the infirmary waiting room, begging for updates on her friend's condition.

Chris and Will move beds around in the transfer dorm, making one big bed out of three bunks. They make Tris sleep between them the first night she is out of the infirmary. Of the nine original transfer initiates, only four of them remain. Christina, Will, and Tris all understand that Molly has nothing to lose with her name on the bottom of the rankings and her friends gone.

Will and Christina eventually fall asleep, but Tris finds it impossible. With Molly safely snoring in her bunk, Tris slips down to the foot of the bed and escapes from her position between Will and Christina. She sneaks to the door, watching and listening for any indication that Molly is awake. Finding none, she slips out the door and down the hall.

A moment later, Four rushes down the hall toward her. "What happened?" he gasps.

Tris stares at the instructor, stunned. "Nothing," she says.

"Why are you out of the dorm?" he asks.

"I can't sleep," Tris admits.

Anger washes over Four's face. "Last time you went wandering when you couldn't sleep, it didn't end so well," he reminds her.

Tris' eyes narrow, and she glares up at the tall man. "Seeing as how Drew and Peter are in jail, Al is dead, and Molly is snoring away in the dorm, I didn't think I had anything to worry about. I don't have _that many_ enemies, Four. And what are you doing up at this hour? Spying on me? I don't need a damn babysitter," she spits, pushing Four's chest. "I am sick and tired of everybody watching me! Half of the people in this faction want to stop me from succeeding, and the other half don't think I'm capable of it anyway! I don't need protecting! I just need a fair chance to show everyone what I'm capable of!"

Four shakes his head. "What you really need is a good night's sleep," he says. "Then maybe you wouldn't be wandering around the compound in the middle of the night spouting nonsense about how you don't want to be protected even though, in your words, half the faction is against you."

"Agh!" Tris yells. "I hate all of this! I hate sleeping in a room full of people! I hate public showers and communal meals! I hate feeling weak and guilty! I'm sick of crying! This whole place is a nightmare! I go to training and get chased by my worst fears in simulations. I go to bed and they show up in my dreams. I wake up and - surprise! - they're my reality! I gave up on finding my soulmate and followed my heart like my mom told me to. Now I'm going to spend the rest of my life alone in this nightmare realm!"

At this point Tris is barely coherent to Four, but it's obvious that she's hysterical and at her wits' end. At a loss for how to help her, Four picks her up and throws her over his shoulder. As he marches through the compound, Tris pounds on his back, wiggling and kicking to be put down. She comes dangerously close to kicking him in the crotch right as they arrive at Eric's door. Four pounds on the door, praying that Eric will answer quickly. Fortunately, he does, and Four puts the hysterical woman back on her feet before pushing her into the apartment.

"What happened?" Eric asks worriedly as he rubs the sleep from his eyes.

"He happened!" Tris says, pointing angrily at Four. "I wouldn't stay where he put me, so my _babysitter_ decided it was his turn to kidnap me!"

"She lost it!" Four says defensively. "I asked her why she was wandering around in the middle of the night and she just flipped out on me!"

The two bicker back and forth until Eric can't take it anymore. "Enough!" he yells. "Four, go home and go to bed. No more watching the monitors. I swear you're getting paranoid from lack of sleep."

"But…" Four protests.

"No," Eric says firmly. "Go home."

"Fine!" Four snaps as he turns and walks out, slamming the door behind him.

Eric sighs as he looks at the seething woman in front of him. "Are you taking the guest room, or do you want to sleep in my bed?"

"Wait. What?" Tris asks.

"It's two in the morning," Eric says. "I was asleep. I'd like to be asleep again. You're welcome to join me, or if you'd like some space you can take my guest room.

"Oh, um, okay," says Tris, taken aback by Eric suddenly diffusing the argument she expected. "I, uh, I guess I'll take the guest room."

Eric points out the guest room, the bathroom, and the door to his room, where Tris stayed the night Edward was attacked. He bids her goodnight and walks away.

Tris is still dumbfounded. She walks into Eric's guest room and sits on the edge of the bed. She's alone, truly alone, and safe. The room is quiet. No one is watching her. She lays down, scooting to the head of the bed. The apartment is quiet.

.

xxxx

.

"Damn it, Tris! I thought you were _dead!_" an angry female voice rips Tris from her peaceful sleep.

"What?" Tris asks groggily. "Go away, I'm sleeping."

"That's what I said when she showed up at two AM," says another voice.

Tris groans.

"Was she sleepwalking?" asks the female voice, which Tris recognizes as Christina.

"Nope," says the male voice - Eric. "She was fighting with Four. He brought her here."

"And what did you do?" Christina asks.

"I told them both to go to bed," Eric says, shrugging. "Final fear landscapes start in twenty minutes. You should both get going, and so should I."


	14. Chapter 14: Testing

**A/N: FYI, some of this chapter was taken from Divergent, but I edited the heck out of it. It's in the first-person and in italics because we're inside Tris' head during her fear landscape. While much of it is the same as the original, there are some significant differences and things I added, removed, or adjusted to fit this story.**

**Because the story is written and uploaded, I'm going to try to get out a new chapter every day. It's still in final edits, so no promises.**

**XOXO,**  
**Libby**

.

Four stands just inside a door on the left side of the fear landscape room. Tris walks past without looking at him, still angry from their fight the night before.

She looks through the glass into the room where Marlene is moving through her fear landscape. A line of people sit in chairs in front of it. Eric is one of them, and so is Max. Judging by the wires connected to their heads, and their blank eyes, they are observing the simulation. Behind them is another line of chairs, occupied by initiates awaiting their turns.

Max, Eric, and a few others shake off the simulation daze, congratulate Marlene, and walk out.

"Transfers, the order in which you go through the final test was taken from your rankings as they now stand," Four says. "So Molly will go first, and Tris will go last."

The fear landscapes are not interesting to watch from the outside. Molly is moving, but Tris can't tell what she's reacting to. She spends too much time breathing heavily, trying to control her panic. At one point she even screams at the top of her lungs.

Christina is next. Then Will. Tris notices how much time it takes them, and relaxes in the knowledge that they both beat Molly. Even if all of the Dauntless-borns beat them, her friends will be safe.

"Tris,"

She walks to the front of the observation room, where Eric stands with a syringe full of orange liquid. She stares into his grey eyes, gaining confidence from them. "Ready?" he asks. Tris nods and Eric injects her neck with the serum.

.

_The ground beneath me changes. Grass rises from the concrete and wind tosses my hair. Green sky replaces the exposed pipes above me. I listen for the birds and feel my fear as a distant thing, a hammering heart and a squeezed chest, but not something that exists in my mind. Four told me in training to figure out what this simulation means. It's about control. Wings flap next to my ear, and the crow's talons dig into my shoulder._

_I crouch, listening to the thunder of wings approaching, and run my hand through the grass. What combats powerlessness? Power, and the first time I felt powerful in Dauntless was when I was holding a gun. I feel something hard and metal in the grass. My gun._

_I point the gun at the bird on my shoulder, and it detaches from my shirt in an explosion of noise, blood, and feathers. I spin on my heel, aiming the gun at the sky, and see the flock of birds descending. I squeeze the trigger, firing again and again into the sea of birds above me, watching their dark bodies drop to the grass. I feel the same rush of power I felt the first time I held a gun. My heart stops racing and the field, gun, and birds fade away. I stand in the dark again._

_I shift my weight, and feel the smooth glass floor beneath me. I press my hands to glass on either side of my body. The tank again. I am not afraid of drowning. This is not about the water; it is about my inability to escape. It is about weakness. I just have to convince myself that I am strong enough to break the glass._

_The blue lights come on, and water slips over the floor. Calm down and focus, I remind myself. I am stronger than the glass. The glass is as thin as newly frozen ice. My mind will make it so. I close my eyes. The glass is ice. The glass shatters under my hand, and water spills onto the floor. And then the dark returns._

_I try to move my arms, but they are bound tightly to my sides. I look down and see rope wrapped around me. A stack of logs rises around my feet, and I see a pole behind me. People creep out of the shadows, their faces familiar. Peter is at the front of the pack. His eyes look like black pits, and he wears a smirk that spreads too wide across his face._

_Peter lowers a torch to the wood, and flames leap up. I don't struggle against the ropes, Instead I close my eyes and gulp as much air as I can. This is a simulation. It can't hurt me. The heat from the flames rises around me._

_"Smell that, Stiff?" Peter says. He sniffs. "That's the smell of your burning flesh."_

_"Know what I smell?" My voice strains to be louder than the crackling fire. "I smell rain."_

_I tilt my head back and focus on the clouds gathering above my head, heavy with rain, dark with rain. I feel the first drop on my forehead. The drop rolls down the side of my nose, and the second drop hits my shoulder. Sheets of rain fall around me, and I hear sizzling as the rain puts out the fire and soothes the burns on my hands. The ropes fall away._

_When I look up, I stand in my bedroom in the Abnegation sector of the city. The lights are off, but the room is lit by the moonlight through the window. My eyes skip to the window behind me. And to the man standing just outside. I blink, and two men appear beside him. Their faces are featureless, skin-covered skulls._

_I whip around, and they stand in my room. Fists pound against the window, dozens of fists with dozens of fingers, slamming into the glass. Then the scarred man and his two companions begin to walk with slow, careful movements toward me. They are here to take me, like Peter, Drew, and Al; they're here to kill me._

_Simulation. This is a simulation. My heart hammering in my chest, I grab the closet door. I tell myself where a weapon will be. It will be hanging against the right wall, just inches from my hand. I find the gun with my fingertips and wrap my hand around the handle._

_I bite my lip and fire at the zombie-like men. I don't wait to see if the bullet hits them, I just fire as fast as I can. The glass creaks under the pressure of the hands fighting to get in, and then cracks, and shatters. Pale human bodies, but mangled - arms bent at odd angles, too-wide mouths, needle teeth, empty eye sockets - topple into my bedroom and scramble to their feet. I pull myself into the closet and shut the door._

_I need a solution. I can't fight them off, so I have to calm down. The fear landscape will register my slowing heartbeat and even breathing and it will move on to the next obstacle._

_I observe the wall in front of me. It is not a wall but another door, I tell myself. I fumble to push it aside and reveal the upstairs hallway. Smiling, I crawl through and stand. I smell something baking. I am at home._

_A trigger clicks in my ear. I almost forgot about this fear. I feel a gun in my hand and curl my fingers around it, slipping a finger over the trigger. A spotlight shines from the ceiling, and standing in the center of its circle of light are my mother, my father, and my brother._

_"Do it," hisses a voice next to me._

_The barrel of a gun presses to my temple, a cold circle against my skin. My fear: that my family will die, and that I will be responsible._

_"Do it," she says again, more insistent this time. "Do it or I'll kill you."_

_I stare at Caleb. He nods, his eyebrows tugged in, sympathetic. "Go ahead, Tris," he says softly. _

_"I'll give you ten seconds!" the woman shouts. "Ten! Nine!"_

_My eyes skip from my brother to my father. His eyes are wide and soft. "You have no other option," he says._

_"Eight!"_

_"Seven!"_

_They aren't even real. This is all a simulation._

_"Six!"_

_"Five!"_

_I have no other option. I close my eyes. Think. I have to think. The urgency making my heart race stems from only one thing: the threat to my life._

_"Four!" _

_"Three!"_

_"Two!"_

_I drop my gun. Before I can lose my nerve, I turn and press my forehead to the barrel of the gun behind me. "Shoot me instead!"_

_"One!"_

_I hear a click, and a bang. My vision goes dark._

_This time, when I become aware of my surroundings, I still don't see anything. But I feel the wind and rain, and I hear the ominous and familiar sounds of my recurring nightmare. I run as my eyes adjust to the dark. I'm barely able to avoid low branches as I maneuver through the dense forest._

_As always, I come to a fork in the road. I have to go left or right. I know what this is about, but I don't know how to beat it. I think about my soulmarks. I see them in my mind. "What's your name?" it says on my right hip in grey letters. "Welcome to Dauntless," it says on my left in blue. _

_"I already chose!" I scream to the darkness. "I chose Dauntless!" _

_I spin on my heel and run to the left. To Dauntless._

_The darkness around me is total and silent. I stop running._

_._

**A/N: Because I know what kinds of comments I'm going to get on this chapter, let me say ahead of time that Tris needed to fight with Four in chapter 13 so that she could get through her last fear quickly. She doesn't know it, but her anger at Four's over-protectiveness temporarily weakened the pull to her right and made it easier for her to choose during the fear landscape. It's also a symptom of her selflessness that she would choose left (Dauntless) over right (herself, aka "What's your name?").**


	15. Chapter 15: Confession

Tris blinks as she becomes aware of the lights in the fear landscape room. The leaders observing her test murmur approvingly to one another. Tris looks for Eric, then stares at him, hoping to get an idea of how she did by the look on his face. But Eric is impassive as always.

"Six fears!" says Max, Dauntless' head leader. "Very nice job, Tris!"

"Thank you, Sir," Tris says deferentially as she shakes his offered hand.

"The welcome banquet begins at six o'clock tonight, and we'll reveal the final rankings then," Max continues. "Tomorrow you will choose your job, and we will assign you your new apartment. Job-specific training starts on Monday, so you'll have the weekend to get moved in and nurse your hangover from celebrating. Welcome to Dauntless."

Tris flinches slightly at hearing her soul words, even though it was not the first thing Max ever said to her. But it's a reminder that this is another day when the words are likely to be spoken.

After being dismissed, Tris leaves the fear landscape room. She doesn't know where to go. Should she find her friends? Pack up her few belongings? Get another tattoo? She wanders away from the testing room aimlessly, lost in her thoughts.

"You're going to finish first, you know," a voice says. Tris startles, but is not afraid. _How does he always calm me just by showing up?_ Tris wonders.

"We'll see," she says to Eric.

"No, Tris," he says, his face sincere, "you will. I was there for all of them. Your time was the fastest, and you were already in first place going into the test. You will have your pick of jobs."

Tris sighs, causing Eric to give her a quizzical look.

"I think what you mean to say is that at the banquet I'll be announced as the first-ranked initiate, and _if_ no one kills me in my sleep tonight, I'll get first pick of jobs in Dauntless," Tris says flatly.

Eric chuckles dryly. "That does seem to be your experience here," he says. "But before that, Four and I need to speak with you. Will you come with me, please?"

Tris nods. She's reluctant to face Four after the fight they had in the night, but she knows she needs to deal with it sooner or later. Eric throws an arm over her shoulders and walks back toward his apartment.

Four is waiting outside Eric's door when they arrive, and Tris carefully avoids making eye contact with him until they're safely inside.

"Have a seat on the couch," Eric instructs Tris. "Can I get either of you a drink?"

"Please," says Four. "The stronger the better."

"Um, no thank you," Tris says. "It probably wouldn't look good if I showed up the banquet drunk."

"This is Dauntless," Eric says with a smirk. "Half the faction will show up drunk."

He returns to the living room a minute later with two glasses of brown liquid, and a bottle of water. He sets the water on the coffee table in front of Tris, and hands one of the glasses to Four.

Eric and Four each perch on a corner of the coffee table, facing Tris who is seated in the center of the couch. She feels penned in and nervous as she looks from Eric, in front of her on her left, to Four, in front of her on her right.

"We talked about how to do this," Eric says, tipping his head at Four as he watches Tris. "All we're asking is that you listen and give us a chance to explain."

Tris nods as Four clears his throat. "So, um, Tris," Four begins anxiously, "so, not many people know my real name. I don't like to talk about it. My, uh, my family life growing up was pretty awful. So when I came to Dauntless and found out I only have four fears, I got a new nickname and made a new identity. That's why they call me Four."

Tris nods again, impressed by the fact that Four has only four fears, but wondering what his real identity has to do with her.

"My, uh, my real name is Tobias," he says. "Tobias Eaton."

Tris' eyes grow large with realization. Abnegation leader Marcus Eaton had a son who defected to Dauntless a few years ago. Erudite spread stories about the leader abusing his son, saying that's why he had chosen to defect.

"The Erudite stories…" Tris says.

Four nods. "True. All true. He beat my mom until she died when I was nine, then he turned on me. I left Abnegation to get away from him."

"Wow," Tris says. "I thought for sure you were Dauntless-born. You fit here so well. I suppose next, Eric, you're going to tell me that you're from Amity?"

The trio chuckles. "Not quite," Eric says. "I'm actually from Erudite."

Tris laughs, then realizes that Eric and Four aren't laughing with her.

Eric leans toward Tris and takes her left hand in both of his. "Tris," he says gently. "Do you remember when you jumped out of the train onto the roof?" Tris nods, stunned silent. "Do you remember seeing me there on the ledge?" She nods again. "Do you remember what I did? I looked at all the initiates, and I was surprised to see an Abnegation transfer. We don't get many of those. I looked right at you, and do you remember what I said?"

"Welcome to Dauntless," Tris says quietly in a choked voice as tears fill her eyes and she begins to shake.

Eric nods his head. "Then I asked who wanted to be the first jumper, and what did you say?"

"Me," Tris whispers.

Eric releases her hand and stands, tugging at the waistband of his jeans. He reveals a tiny grey word on his hip. "Me," Tris whispers again, reading the word on Eric's hip.

Tobias reaches for Tris' right hand as Eric sits back down and takes her left again.

"After that you jumped," Tobias says with a soft smile. "I met you at the bottom."

Tris nods. "What's your name," she says, still in shock. "You said, 'What's your name?' and you're from Abnegation."

"And you didn't answer me," Tobias says. "You just said 'um.'" He drops his left knee to the floor and tugs at his own waistband, revealing the tiny mark.

"Do you have two, too?" Tris asks. Suddenly her face lights up with realization. "You have two, too!" she says. "You told me that when you were drunk! I thought you were crazy and talking about ballerinas or something! But you have two, too!" She laughs heartily for a moment, the two men smiling at the sound of her laugh.

"Wait," she says to Eric. "Do you also have two?" Eric nods. "Are the two of you soulmates, or are we missing someone?"

Eric chuckles.

"I wish we were," Tobias groans. "But no, the two of us actually match up. On the day we met we almost collided on the roof. He said, 'Watch out, Stiff," and I told him to shut up."

"We never even thought about the fact that someone had said our words," Eric continues. "Neither of us are gay or bisexual, so we weren't paying attention to another guy saying them."

"We still don't really understand," Tobias says. "How can there be three of us? Why are we matched to each other when neither of us want that? What do we do about both of us matching with you? It's a big mess."

"My theory is that there are different kinds of soulmates," Eric explains. "I don't think it's always about romantic love. I'm not in love with Four. I don't want to marry him."

"And that feeling is mutual," says Tobias, scrunching up his nose.

"But there's a different kind of chemistry between us," Eric continues. "We were natural rivals in initiation. And since you got here we've strangely become allies. And in their own ways, those connections have been fierce and powerful."

"So my purpose here is what? To repair your friendship?" Tris asks. "I was born with these marks so I could come to Dauntless and bridge your egos? That's all I get out of life?"

A tear rolls down Tris' cheek. "This is the worst 'I think we should just be friends' speech ever," she whispers to herself.

"I don't know," says Tobias, increasingly agitated, as he rises from his perch on the coffee table and paces around the apartment. "I don't understand it. My parents were soulmates, but my dad abused my mom. He used to whip me with his belt for being a 'freak' with two marks. I came to Dauntless to get away from him, yes, but I also came to get away from Abnegation and my one soulmate. I never wanted to meet my soulmates - neither of them. And Eric's the same - noses hate stiffs. He came here to avoid meeting his, too. Yet here we are!"

Tris pulls her hand free of Eric's and stands, ducking past Tobias and running out of the apartment before anyone can stop her.

.

**A/N: Ta-da! Not the romantic moment a girl with a soulmark hopes for. Now what? See you next time...  
I have to say that it is really fun to give you this story one piece at a time and see your reactions. It's like handing out Christmas presents and hoping the recipient likes it!  
And it's worth noting that I don't reply to a lot of reviews, because I'd just keep saying "you'll see!"**


	16. Chapter 16: Membership

**A/N: If you haven't read the confession chapter, go back and catch up. Enjoy! **

**.**

Eric stands on the raised platform of the cafeteria, his eyes glued to the entrance. The door opens over and over, but the one person he wants to see doesn't appear.

Christina and Will enter the cafeteria hand-in-hand and sit at the long table reserved for initiates. Several Dauntless-born initiates join them. Molly slinks in and takes a seat on the end, as if she isn't quite sure if she belongs. Most of the initiates look relieved and have an air of celebration about them. A few of the lower-ranked initiates look worried.

At six o'clock on the dot, the double doors to the cafeteria burst open with a bang, causing everyone to go silent as they turn to look. In walks Uriah Pedrad, sporting new tattoos on his forearms. Beside him is Lynn, her head freshly shaved and her septum newly pierced. They are followed by Marlene, who now has bright red streaks in her light brown hair and an industrial piercing in her ear. She's wearing sky-high red heels with her black skinny jeans and sleeveless black top. Beside her is Tris.

Eric's heart squeezes at the sight of his soulmate. Outwardly she looks fierce, Dauntless, even angry. Someone, probably Marlene, has done her makeup, and dressed her in ripped leather leggings and a fitted sleeveless shirt with a v-neckline that's wide enough to show her raven tattoo. Her hair has been cut to her shoulder blades - still long, but not Abnegation long - and several hot pink stripes have been added. But Eric can tell by the set of her mouth and the way her slightly red eyes avoid him that she's also hurt.

The four initiates walk proudly to the designated table and sit down. Eric and Max step forward and make the typical initiate graduation speech. When the rankings are revealed, Tris is number one.

The cafeteria erupts in cheers, but four faces aren't smiling - Molly, who just found out she's becoming factionless, Tris, who finished first but was rejected by both of her soulmates, Eric, who's watching Tris from the stage, and Four, who is standing just inside the doors, and who happens to be sporting a fresh black eye and a busted lip.

When the hugs and congratulations die down, the Dauntless members get in line for food. Dinner is served to the initiates' and leaders' tables by waiters. They're given steaks, potatoes, peas, green salad, and bread, as well as champagne. Eric picks at his food and watches Tris do the same. By the time Dauntless cake is served, Eric has managed only half of his dinner. Tris' plate is clean, but that's thanks to Uriah.

After dinner it seems like the entire faction moves to the pit. Music is blasting through the space, and moving lights illuminate the otherwise dark room. Eric stands on a balcony in the leadership's VIP section and looks for Tris, but she is nowhere to be found. He leaves the party and checks the dorm, the tattoo parlor, and even the halls leading to his apartment, but there is no sign of her.

He returns to the pit, and his perch in the balcony, nursing drinks and worrying about where Tris could be. He thinks about calling Four, whom he knows to be hiding out in the Control Room, but he really doesn't want to talk to him.

After Tris ran away from Eric's apartment, the two men had fought. Technically the physical fight had been one-sided, with Eric throwing a punch before the two men started yelling. By the time either of them thought to go after Tris, she was nowhere to be seen.

Eric is still furious with Four. They had agreed to present their three-person soulmate situation calmly and logically, but Four had freaked out. The things he said must have been painful for Tris. Girls always had romantic notions about finding their soulmate. Tris had to listen to Eric ramble about his theory that 'soulmate' could mean 'friend,' and then listen to Tobias freaking out about how neither man had even wanted to find their soulmate. Undoubtedly those words hurt Tris. _But where is she?_

Eventually Eric can't take it anymore. He makes another lap through the dorm and around the halls before throwing open the door to the Control Room.

"Have you seen her?" Eric asks.

Without turning away from the monitors, Four nods. Eric glares at the back of his head.

"Well?"

"The Dauntless-born took her," Four says tersely.

"Ziplining?" Eric asks, incredulous.

Four nods again.

"They never take transfers," Eric says.

Four shrugs, his back still facing Eric. He clicks a few buttons and points to a monitor at another station. Eric looks and sees the view from a camera outside the compound. It's pointed at a group of Dauntless waiting to catch zipliners. He recognizes Shauna in the group, and Marlene. Eric sits down at the station and watches as a figure in black drops into the net of arms waiting for him. There's no sound on the camera, but he watches the Dauntless mill about, laugh, and slap one another on the back as they wait for the next flyer. When they group together and another black figure drops into their arms, it's Tris.

She's smiling broadly as she high fives and hugs the Dauntless who caught her. Eric is riveted to the screen, his eyes focused on Tris. When the group gathers again, he can tell that they're laughing about something. When the next Dauntless falls, it's Uriah. People laugh and shove him, and it's obvious he's embarrassed himself somehow. It reminds Eric of Zeke's inglorious moment as first jumper during their initiation.

Eric watches the group at the end of the zipline until the last person falls and the group runs toward the train. He taps at the keyboard, pulling up different cameras to visually follow them to the train station, and then again as they jump off at the initiates entrance. He turns on the camera in the net room and gains sound to go with the video. When he sees Tris jump into the net, Eric leaves his post in the Control Room and hurries down there. The group is coming down the hall when Eric approaches. He waits around a corner as the adrenaline-high Dauntless make their way toward the party in the pit.

Tris lags behind the group. As she passes him, Eric speaks. "Did you have fun?" he asks.

Tris' head pops up, and her eyes lock on Eric's. "Am I in trouble?" she asks. "Am I not allowed to leave the compound yet? I was with members."

"You're not in trouble," he assures her. "I've just been looking for you. I had no idea they would take you along. The Dauntless-born have never invited a transfer to the end of initiation ziplining."

Tris smiles, though her gaze is still cast down. "Uriah's mother and my mother grew up together," she says. "You know, Hana? From the infirmary? I didn't know it was her when I was in there, which is kind of funny, since my mom told me to look for her, and she was right in front of me…"

"Stop," Eric interrupts her rambling. "Can you please look at me?"

The small smile falters, and Tris shakes her head. "Don't worry about me," she says in a defeated tone. "I'm just being a girl, I guess. I'll get over it."

"I hope not," says Eric with a smirk. "I rather like you being a girl."

"You can't say things like that," Tris protests. "I've lived my whole life knowing that someday I would find my perfect fit, and hoping I would finally understand why I have two marks. My biggest fear in my fear landscape is about having to choose. I've had nightmares about it for years. Now today I found out that I missed both of my soulmate meetings. I waited my _whole life_ for that and didn't recognize it, even when it slapped me in the face twice in five minutes. Not only that, but both of my soulmates have been actively trying to avoid meeting me. But hey, maybe I'm not meant for love. Right? Maybe soulmates can just mean friends. We can nod at each other in the hallways and exchange Christmas cards until we get old and die alone. That'll be fulfilling."

She tries to step around Eric, but he blocks her path. "Move!" she yells in hysterical exasperation. "I'm going to go get drunk with my friends before the next attempt on my life!"

Eric wraps his arms around Tris, holding her tight. She fights for a minute, but eventually quits as sobs tear through her.

Eric just holds her close. "I hated having two soulmarks," he tells Tris. "I hated it because it made me different. I hated it because the Erudite hate Abnegation. Erudite love to study everything. My mom made me keep my marks secret because she was ashamed, and we both knew that anything different would breed curiosity. I chose Dauntless because I was angry, and I wanted to fight. And I didn't want to fall in love with a stiff, much less two. But you're not a stiff, Tris; you're Dauntless. Just like Four. Just like me. I ran from those marks because I was afraid of falling in love with Abnegation. But I didn't fall in love with Abnegation; I fell in love with you. I don't want to be your friend, Tris. That's the bond I have with Four. I want more than that with you.

"Four is having a hard time with all of this. His dad really messed with him. And I agree that the whole situation is confusing. I don't know how we can all be connected. I don't know what it means or how we do this. I just know that I'm drawn to you. Every time we're in the same room I fight the urge to stare at you and touch you. I want to hold you, talk to you, share my day, hear your feelings, all of it. I'm just not sure what's allowed. How do I have what I want with you and deal with Four's part in it?"

"It always comes back to me having to choose, doesn't it?" Tris sniffles.

"I don't know," Eric confesses, tucking a wayward strand of hair behind Tris' ear. "But we don't have to decide tonight. Tonight we should be celebrating initiation. Do you want to come with me to the leadership VIP area? There's a great view up there."

"I need to get cleaned up first," Tris says shyly.

"My place is close," Eric says, grabbing Tris' hand and leading her down the hall.

Once inside Eric's apartment, Tris plops down on the couch. Her eyes well up with tears, and she angrily dashes them away.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Eric asks, rushing to her side.

"Nothing," Tris says.

"Try again," Eric says, "but the truth this time. What are you upset about?"

"It's been a long day," Tris says. "Fear landscapes, the banquet, ziplining. Plus the whole 'last time we were here I found my soulmates but they rejected me' thing. I'm tired, and I have a lot to process."

Eric allows himself to pull Tris into his lap the way he has wanted to practically every time they've been in the same room. He wraps his big, muscular arms around her slight frame. His hands stroke her hair. He allows himself to revel in the feeling of having his soulmate in his arms.

Eric hears a tiny snore. He listens to Tris' deep, even breathing and realizes she's asleep in his arms. Slowly and carefully, he rises from the couch. With sleeping Tris in his arms, he locks the apartment door, slips off Tris' boots and his own, turns out the lights, and makes himself comfortable on the couch.


	17. Chapter 17: Apologies

Tris wakes early in the morning. She's surprisingly warm. She wiggles a little as she comes awake, and an arm around her middle tightens. Her eyes pop open. She's not alone. In fact, she seems to be laying on top of someone.

A sharp breath through her nose reveals the comforting and familiar smell of Eric. She dares to glance up and sees his handsome, sleeping face. Their bodies are pressed together, Tris' smaller torso on top of Eric's broad one. Her head rests on his chest, just above his heart. Their legs are intertwined, and his arms hold her securely to him.

"Hmmm," Eric mumbles as he comes awake. "This is nice."

Tris nods against his chest. "It would be better if I hadn't slept in faux leather leggings. I'll probably never peel them off."

"Well," says Eric with a chuckle, "you don't have to wear pants on my account."

Tris feels her cheeks redden. They lay quietly for a few minutes, Eric stroking Tris' back.

"I like waking up with you in my arms," Eric says. "You can sleep here any time. Next time we can even try the bed."

"I'll pack my PJs," Tris says, planting a kiss to the underside of Eric's stubbly jaw.

"Or not…" he teases, making Tris blush again.

"Can I … Can I see your other soulmark?" Tris asks nervously.

"Are you trying to get me out of my pants, young lady?" Eric asks.

"No! I just… I mean…"

Eric laughs. "You're fun to tease," he says, nuzzling into Tris' hair.

He pulls the edge of his pants low enough to reveal the grey marks on his hips.

Tris' fingers stroke the soulmark. "Shut up," it says, in the same grey scrawl as her "What's your name?" mark. She shifts her body so she can see the word "Me" in her own handwriting on the other hip.

"I've seen yours," Eric says. Tris freezes, her face confused and shocked. "Your soulmarks," Eric clarifies, and she relaxes. "After your fight with Peter, Hana called Four and I to the infirmary. She knew that we both had two marks. We both knew we matched with you from Choosing Day. When an Abnegation-born shows up in Dauntless and says your word, even a little word like 'me,' or 'um,' you notice. But that's when we realized that Four and I _both_ matched with you - and that we matched each other."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tris asks.

"You were an initiate, and we were your instructors. We couldn't show favoritism, and we didn't want to add anything to your already overwhelming situation. Plus, we're as confused as you are about why there are three of us," Eric reminds her. "I wanted to tell you," he continues as his large hands stroke her soft hair and small back. "I wanted to hold you so many times. I can't really explain it, Baby, but I am just so drawn to you - like a magnet. You are a beautiful, brave, strong, and sexy-as-hell Dauntless woman. My first jumper. My top initiate. My brave girl with only six fears."

Tris grins slightly, her bottom lip trapped in her teeth and her gaze averted. "Tris?" Eric says, causing her to look up. "You're so beautiful. May I kiss you?"

Tris nods, and Eric draws her closer to his face so they can kiss. His first move is light, lips brushing tenderly. Tris sighs, and Eric takes it as a good sign and goes for a slightly deeper kiss.

.

xxxx

.

Instead of the cafeteria, Eric guides Tris to his office.

"What are we doing?" she asks. "I have to choose my job and stuff."

"We have an hour or so," Eric says. "I called a 'family meeting' so we could talk about yesterday."

"Family meeting?" Tris smiles, then sobers. "I don't know if I'm ready to see Four, or, um, Tobias," she says with a sigh. "I don't even know what to call him."

"We should ask," Eric suggests with a shrug.

Four is waiting outside Eric's office, a bakery bag and a drink holder with three coffee cups in his hands. Eric lets them in, and they sit in the chairs on the visitor side of his desk.

Four distributes breakfast while Eric begins talking. "So, um, I called us all here," he says, "because we need to talk about what happened yesterday. I know we're all overwhelmed, and there's no known precedent for our situation. Additionally, each of us, to varying degrees, have baggage and emotional trauma from growing up with two marks. So try to be sensitive and not hurt each other, okay?"

"I need to apologize to Tris," Four says. "I'm sorry I hurt you yesterday and made you feel unwanted. I have a lot of issues because of my parents. I'm also having a really hard time with the reality that Eric is one of my soulmates. I kind of, um, freaked out. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I also need to apologize," Eric says. "I didn't realize how it would sound to you, Tris, when I explained that soulmates might be able to be just friends. As I explained last night, I was talking about me and Four, not me and you."

"And Four," Eric continues, turning to face Tobias. "I owe you an apology as well. I… I…" Tris is surprised to see Eric getting choked up. She sets her coffee down on the desk and puts a hand on Eric's shoulder.

"I don't want to be like your dad!" Eric finally declares. "You and I have this contentious history of rivalry and fighting, and in Dauntless we often talk with our fists - at least among men, anyway. When I realized that your words hurt Tris and that she ran off believing that we didn't care about her, I snapped! I don't want to be that kind of person! I don't want to do anything to remind you of him, or make you think of me that way. I'm so sorry." Eric's shoulders slump and his gaze drops to the floor.

Four looks stunned by Eric's words. "I don't know what to say," he begins. "I guess I… um… thank you for apologizing, I guess. I know that's not easy. It's kind of hard to explain, but there's a difference between a fist fight and abuse. I can honestly say I didn't equate the two. I knew I was wrong when I started saying all that stuff, and I realized that I hurt Tris. I just kept talking, trying to dig myself out of a hole, but I kept making it worse. I'm not afraid of you, Eric. Remember our words? When I told you to shut up, that was the first time I ever defended myself. You've made me brave since the day we met."

"Wow," says Eric, looking up hopefully. "Thank you. And for what it's worth, you've been changing my perspective on stiffs since then."

"To- um, Four, what do you prefer us to call you?" Tris asks.

"In public, please call me Four," he says. "But when it's just us, you guys can call me Tobias if you want. It's kind of nice hearing my own name again."

Tris reaches over and squeezes his hand. "Thank you, Tobias."

Tobias smiles at the sound of his real name spoken with such kindness and affection - something that has been rare since his mother died.

"As much as I hate to cut this little meeting short," Eric says, "we have two trainers and a top-ranked initiate who are due in the cafeteria like right now."

The trio stands, and hugs are exchanged all around before they walk to the cafeteria together.


	18. Chapter 18: Chasm

"This is so not fair!" Christina whines as she stands in the middle of Tris' empty walk-in closet. "I'm sharing a tiny apartment with Marlene, and you get this huge three-bedroom all to yourself!?"

Tris rolls her eyes at her friend's dramatic display. "You know why, Christina," Tris says. "This was the only apartment available in the leadership wing. It's really rare for Dauntless to have so many single and childless leaders, so all the smaller two-bedroom apartments are full."

"Still…" Christina grumbles. "At least tell me I can come and stay here sometimes."

"Of course," Tris placates her friend.

"Can I have one of your closets?" Christina presses.

"Um, no," Tris replies. "You know I can't give you an apartment key. So you wouldn't be able to get in and get things when I'm busy."

Christina sticks out her bottom lip.

"Sorry Babe," Tris says lightheartedly. "Now let's go shopping to fill my empty apartment!"

.

xxxx

.

Two weeks into her leadership training, Tris is busy working on paperwork in her office when she hears a voice from her doorway. "Knock, knock!" the visitor calls.

"Hey!" Tris says, smiling, then jumping up to greet Four with a hug. "How have you been? I haven't seen you since initiation ended, and I've missed you!"

"I'm good," Tobias says with a smile, gratefully returning the hug. "You know, tech maintenance at the fence. They usually send me out after initiation before they put me back on the regular schedule in the Control Room. It lets them train in the new guys, and gets me out of here for a bit. You initiates wear me out, you know?"

"Oh stop!" Tris laughs at his teasing and swats at his arms, which are still wrapped around her. "I think you have that backward. I remember you doing all the wearing down. We were the ones running, fighting, and facing our worst fears!"

"Do you, um… Do you have a few minutes?" He says abruptly. "Are you allowed to leave?"

"Sure," Tris says. "It's almost lunchtime anyway. The paperwork will keep."

She stacks her work neatly on the desk before joining Tobias. The pair walk quietly through the leadership office hall and out into the pit. He leads Tris along the edge of the Pit on a narrow path that leads to the rocks at the bottom of the chasm. They reach the end of the path and stand at the bottom of the chasm, where the rocks form uneven ground, rising up at harsh angles from the rushing water. Tobias leads Tris up and down, across small gaps and over angular ridges, offering her his hand now and then for support. The soles of their shoes mark each rock with a wet footprint. Tobias finds a relatively flat rock near the side, where the current isn't strong, and sits down, his feet dangling over the edge. Tris sits beside him, their hips and shoulders nearly touching. He seems comfortable here, inches above the hazardous water.

"What is this place?" Tris asks in wonder.

"The bottom of the chasm," Tobias explains. "Most people don't know it exists. There are no cameras here, either. I like to come here to be alone, to think."

"It is strangely peaceful," Tris says. "I didn't fit in Abnegation, but sometimes I miss the tranquility. You know?"

"There wasn't a lot of peace in my life there," Tobias reminds her, "but I do miss the quiet sometimes."

Tris nods, and the pair sits quietly for a few minutes.

"I missed you," Tobias suddenly blurts out.

"What?" Tris asks.

"I missed you," he says again.

"When you were checking the cameras?" she asks. "I missed you, too. Like part of me was missing. This soulbond thing is intense. Even Eric missed you. It's kind of funny. You used to hate each other, but now, I don't know. You're like real friends or something."

"We are," Tobias confirms. Tris rests her head on Tobias' shoulder, and they sit in comfortable silence until Tobias works up the courage to try again.

"When I was gone, I thought about you a lot," he says. "I'm glad I don't have to watch you face your fears anymore, but I miss hugging you every day."

Tris scoots a little closer to Tobias and puts an arm around his back. He smiles at her and wraps his arm around her shoulders. She snuggles into his side and sighs. "You can hug me anytime," she says quietly.

"I decided a long time ago that soulmarks or no, I was never going to be in a relationship," Tobias says sadly. Tris nods against his chest and waits for him to elaborate. "You… You know about… about Marcus," he says. "I didn't want to become like him. I didn't want to fall in love, or have kids, and one day snap and hurt them. I just wanted to be left alone - to end the Eaton line. But then you showed up, Tris, and I find myself overwhelmed by the feelings I have for you. I still don't know how I feel about marriage, or kids, or what to do about the whole Eric thing, but I crave you. I want to share my life with you. I want to hug you, and hold your hand, and talk to you about your day."

"This whole three-person soulmark thing is confusing for all of us, Tobias," Tris says gently. "For example, I love sitting here with you and talking to you with our arms around one another. But part of me wishes Eric was here, too. And when I'm training with him, or when he comes over for dinner, I feel your absence, and I wish you were there. When we did fear sims and he wasn't there every day, I missed him. When you were gone checking cameras at the fence, I missed you. I'm not complete without both of you, and I feel like a terrible person that I can't decide between you. Reality is that I… I want you both in my life. I know that's cruel and unfair to both of you, but I can't make a decision that will cut off either one of you."

"Can I ask you a question?" Tobias asks. Tris nods. "I know Eric is a lot more touchy-feely than I am. Have you, um, have you kissed him?"

Tris nods again, blushing. "Just a couple times," she confesses, "and it hasn't gone any further than that. Some cuddling, like we are right now, and a few kisses."

"Can I, um, can I maybe kiss you, too?" he asks, his blush rivaling Tris' own.

Tris turns her body toward Tobias' and lifts her chin. "Yes," she says quietly.

For a second, Tobias' dark eyes stare into Tris' light ones, and they're quiet. Then he touches her face with his hand, and leans in close, brushing her lips with his. The river roars nearby. Tobias grins and presses their mouths together again.

He takes her face in both of his hands, his fingers strong against Tris' soft skin, and kisses her again, firmer this time, more certain. She wraps an arm around him, sliding her hand up his neck and into his short hair. For a few minutes they kiss, deep in the chasm, with the roar of water all around.

"Wow," Tobias says reverently, his fingers caressing Tris' cheek. "I'm sorry it took me so long to come around about my feelings, Tris."

"I understand, Tobias," Tris says gently, pressing their foreheads together. "Stiffs..."

They laugh at themselves for a moment. "Do you think Eric will be at lunch?" Tobias asks. "I haven't seen him since I got back."

"Sounds like somebody missed the big grumpy leader," Tris teases.

They laugh again, and then they rise, hand in hand, and wordlessly go looking for lunch, and Eric.


	19. Chapter 19: Party of Three

**A/N: Sorry I missed updating yesterday. We got some storm damage on Monday night, so that kind of ate up my day. The story may be written, but I'm doing final edits as I post, and I just didn't have time yesterday because I had glass to clean up (patio table, not windows, thankfully). Enjoy!**

**XOXO,**  
**Libby**

**.**

On Friday night, Christina convinces Tris to go out for dancing and drinks in the pit. She agrees, but gets more than she bargained for when Christina and Marlene are waiting for her at her apartment after work, their arms laden with clothing, shoes, and hair and makeup implements.

Tris uses her leadership comm device to let Eric know that she's been hijacked by makeover artists and won't be at dinner with him and Tobias. He replies, asking where the girls are taking her when they're done primping. She tells him, then begs him to come and rescue her before Christina can follow through on her threat to start waxing Tris' eyebrows. Eric doesn't respond.

The crowd in the pit is rowdy as always. The main lights are out, and colorful laser lights dance around the walls and floor. The music from the deejay booth is cranked up loud, and Tris can feel the bass beat pounding through her body. As soon as their stiletto heels step into the room, Christina and Marlene begin dancing. They move through the crowd with their arms raised, hips swaying. Tris is less comfortable as she follows her friends toward the bar where they're meeting Uriah and Will.

The boys are waiting for them, and wave for the bartender to come get their drink orders. Tris asks for cola with coconut-flavored rum. She hasn't gotten into the drinking part of Dauntless life very much, but she tasted Christina's once and knows that she likes the flavor.

When their first drinks are consumed, the group moves out to the dance floor. Tris feels self-conscious at first, but as the alcohol hits her bloodstream in the semi-darkness of the club, she gives in to the crush of the crowd and the pulse of the music. She raises her hands and moves her body to the beat. Around her, bodies press in close, the crowd moving as one.

Tris gasps as a pair of large hands grab her hips. She spins and finds herself face-to-face with a young man she hasn't met before. He appears to be about the same age as Eric and Tobias, and quite drunk. "Dance!" he yells above the music.

"Move your hands!" Tris tries to yell over the din. He either doesn't hear her or chooses to ignore her, keeping his hands planted on Tris' hips and dragging her closer to him as he dances. She struggles against the stranger, but he slips his hands lower, onto her backside, as he tugs at her.

Suddenly Tris' two soulmates appear behind the man, their faces set grimly. Tris is beyond relieved to see them, and makes a motion for the stranger to turn around. He ignores her direction again, so Eric taps him on his right shoulder. When the young man turns, he is face-to-face with the stony expressions of Eric and Four. Eric makes a motion for the young man to leave, and he wisely obeys.

Tris throws her arms around the two trainers in a group hug, which they awkwardly return.

"Dance with me!" she yells over the noise.

Eric smiles, but Tobias shakes his head. "I'll get drinks," he says instead. "Meet me by the bar."

Tris and Eric yell their drink orders at Tobias, then Eric grabs Tris' hips and turns her so her back is to his front. They sway together in time to the music, getting a lot of looks from the Dauntless members around them.

"You look beautiful tonight," Eric says, his mouth close to Tris' ear, making her shiver. She turns her head and grins at him, sneaking a quick peck on his jaw.

After a few more minutes of dancing, Eric leans in to Tris' ear again. "Let's go get those drinks with Four," he says. She nods, and takes his offered hand as he leads her out of the crowd and toward the bar.

They find Tobias sitting at a table with three drinks, and join him.

"We always end up like this," Tris says, pointing at the three of them.

"What do you mean?" Tobias asks.

"Eric is on my left; Four is on my right," she observes. "We always seem to end up that way."

"Hmm," Eric responds. "I wonder if it's subconscious. Because of the marks."

"I don't want to… Can we not talk about that here?" Tobias asks nervously.

"Of course," Tris says, patting his hand on the tabletop before changing the subject. "Thank you both for coming to my rescue out on the dance floor," she says.

Eric nods in acknowledgment of her gratitude, his jaw tightening as he remembers the experience.

"What happened?" Tobias asks.

"I was just out there dancing," Tris says. "I lost my friends in the crowd, but there were just so many people and everyone was just dancing close together, then that guy grabbed me. I told him to let go, but I guess he couldn't hear me. Then he grabbed my butt and tried to pull me closer. I didn't want to make a scene by hitting him or anything, but he didn't listen when I told him to stop. Then you two were there."

"Four saw you," Eric explains. "We were just standing on the edge of the crowd over there and he turns to me and says 'Tris needs us.'"

"Do you want to get out of here?" Tris asks. "It's so loud. We could go back to my place and watch a movie or something."

"Do you have anything to drink there?" Eric asks.

Tris shakes her head. "Just water and juice, but I think the liquor store is still open for another hour or so. If we leave now we can pick up something on our way out."

Tobias drains the rest of the beer in his glass. "Let's go," he says, eager to leave the noisy club.

.

xxxx

.

Back at Tris' large apartment, the men fix drinks while Tris changes into more comfortable clothing. They sit on her black leather sofa in the same formation they always end up in, Tris in the middle with Eric on her left and Tobias on her right. They turn on a cheesy old action film, and soon the three of them are laughing and cracking jokes about the bad dialog, effects, and sets.

At one point, Eric throws an arm over the back of the sofa, scooting a little closer to Tris. A few minutes later, he makes a particularly funny comment, and Tobias reaches over and playfully smacks at Eric's shoulder. Eric returns the gesture before they get distracted by the movie. They end up sitting in that position, their arms across the back of the sofa and their hands on each other's shoulders, with Tris between them. She turns and smiles at each of them, then bravely rests a hand on each of their knees.

By the end of the movie, the three of them are practically cuddling. "You know what I don't understand?" Eric asks as the credits roll up the screen.

"The plot of that terrible movie?" Tris suggests.

"That too," Eric laughs. "But what I was going to say is that I don't understand why seeing Gabe put his hands all over Tris at the Pit made me want to strangle him, but seeing the two of you get close doesn't bother me at all."

"Maybe it's because we're stiffs," Tobias suggests.

"I kissed him," Tris blurts out.

"What!" both men exclaim. "When?"

"The day he came back from the fence," Tris says, looking at Eric.

"When was Gabe at the fence?" he asks, and Tris can hear the anger in his voice.

"Who?" Tris asks, genuinely confused.

"I think she's talking about me," Tobias explains. "She kissed me the day I got back from the fence."

"You thought I was talking about that jerk at the Pit?" Tris asks. "Yuck, no! I kissed Tobias. He asked me if I had kissed you and I said I had, then he asked if he could kiss me, too."

"Oh," says Eric, quietly examining his feelings for a few moments. "Yup, it's the weirdest thing I've ever experienced, but I'm actually okay with that. If you want to give us both goodnight kisses on our way out the door tonight, I can honestly say it doesn't bother me. My brain knows it should, but it just doesn't."

"I know this is highly irregular," Tobias says, "and someday we'll probably have to make some tough decisions, but right now it doesn't bother me either. I mean, we're sixteen and eighteen. Tris can't legally get married for another two years anyway, so I don't care if you take your time and hang out with both of us until you know what you want. Just promise us that if you start to have strong feelings for just one of us, or if things start getting serious, you'll be up front about it with both of us. We can't deal with any of this unless we all agree to be completely honest with one another."

Tris and Eric nod in agreement, and they switch to lighter topics until the guys go home for the night. As Eric suggested, Tris chastely kisses both men on their way out the door.


	20. Chapter 20: Fire

Eric, Tris, and Tobias settle into a comfortable routine. Every morning, Tobias goes for a run. Sometimes Tris, Eric, or both of them join him. The three meet in the cafeteria for breakfast, often joined by their other friends. Eric and the other faction leaders work with Tris on her training during the day, and the soulmate trio have lunch together when they can. At the end of the weekdays, they have dinner together either in the cafeteria or in Tris' or Eric's apartment. They often get together in the evenings for drinks, movies, board games, or just to hang out and talk.

Tris and Eric's leadership responsibilities keep them busy, too. Some evenings they have duties or crises to attend to. Sometimes Tobias has to work the late shift in the Control Room. But as often as possible, two or three of them spend their evenings together.

Rumors fly around the Dauntless compound. Some say that Tris slept with both trainers during initiation, and that her first place finish wasn't deserved. Some believe that she is dating Four but cheating on him with Eric, or vice versa. Some think that she is stringing along both men, and that she'll break their hearts. The kinder Dauntless believe that the three of them are just good friends. But no one even guesses that the three of them are all soulmates. Truth, as they say, can be stranger than fiction.

One night, about six months after Tris finished initiation, the three are snuggled up on Tris' sofa, watching another movie, when shrill alarms pierce the relative quiet. Tris slaps her hands over her ears, and the three of them hurry to put their boots on. Eric's comm device goes off, adding to the noise. Tris feels hers vibrate in her pocket and pulls it out to look at it.

"Fire," Eric says. "In the south housing wing."

"Are we evacuating the whole compound?" Tobias asks.

"Not yet," Tris says, reading off her comm. "Just the south wing for now. Fire crews are on their way. We gotta get over there."

"I'll head to the Control Room," Tobias says as he opens the door. "Be careful out there."

Tris gives him a quick peck on the lips and a hug, and she's surprised when the two men share a quick bro hug. "Let's go," Eric says, reaching for Tris' hand as they begin running toward the south housing wing of the compound.

.

xxxx

.

Fortunately, no one was killed in the fire, and the damage was contained to three floors of the south wing. Several people were treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns, but everyone recovered quickly. The cause of the fire was believed to be an old space heater that had been running in the apartment that sustained the most damage.

The biggest challenge Dauntless leadership faced after the fire was where to house the forty-some people who were displaced by the damage. Two-thirds of them would need a temporary solution, such as staying with family or friends, until crews could clean up the smoke and water damage to their homes and possessions. But a third of the fire victims would need a more long-term solution. A single guy in his twenties, a young couple with a baby, and a family of five had lost nearly everything in the fire, and an equal number had suffered enough damage that they would need a place to stay for several months.

The compound was filled to capacity, which is why leadership had instituted the limits on the number of initiates who achieved membership. But that rule hadn't been in place long enough to fix the problem, and the compound was full. For the first several days, those who had someone to stay with went home with family and friends. The others were housed in the initiate dorms - a temporary solution at best.

.

"I have two extra bedrooms!" Tris complains to Eric and Tobias over dinner at her apartment. "I feel terrible that families are being crammed in the crappy dorms while my bedrooms sit empty. It's especially hard on the kids!"

"They've experienced so much trauma," Tobias laments in agreement. "They really need security."

"I know this wing is for leadership only," Eric says, "but in times of crisis I really think the faction leaders need to set a good example and serve the members who need it."

"If I moved in with you temporarily, do you think Max would let us loan out my apartment to people who need a place?" Tris asks Eric.

"I don't know," Eric says as he looks over the lists in front of him. "Logistically it would actually be better if Tobias and I moved in here. That would open up his single for one of the people who needs a long-term solution, and one of the small families who need temporary housing could use my place until the cleanup is done. That would keep the leadership wing from being in long-term use by non-leaders, which would help me sell the idea to Max, too."

"This is going to make me very unpopular with my friends," Tris says cautiously, "but I have another idea, too. What if we force the Dauntless-borns who have finished initiation but aren't eighteen to move home with their parents? They can't be married until they're eighteen, so we're not displacing families. And their parents should still be in the same apartments, probably with empty beds since their kids have only been gone for a few months, a year and a half at most."

"That would open up quite a few apartments," Tobias says, grabbing the housing charts off the counter and examining them briefly.

"I'll call Max," Eric says.

.

xxxx

.

With Max's grudging approval, Tobias moves into the leadership wing that night, and Eric joins them in Tris' apartment. The trio work to clean up Eric and Tobias' empty apartments and prepare them for new occupants.

At breakfast, the three of them join Max on the catwalk for a faction-wide announcement that will be broadcast throughout the compound and at the fence.

"Attention Dauntless," Max says in his commanding voice. "This is head leader Max Phifer, with an update about the fire. As you all know, last week's fire in the south housing wing destroyed three apartments, and damaged fifteen others. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt. Unfortunately, there are a number of our Dauntless family who have been displaced by the fire, and many of them will not be able to return home for some time.

"We immediately opened the initiate dorms for these people, and many of you opened your homes to your family and friends. The leadership team and I are touched by your generosity, but we will need more of a long-term solution, especially for the children affected by this disaster.

"To that end, Dauntless leadership has taken a leading role. Tris Prior, our leader-in-training, has asked permission for two of her friends to move in with her, thus freeing up two apartments for long-term use by those in need. Eric Coulter and Four have agreed to give up their homes to those in need, and will be moving in with Tris. They even stayed up late last night cleaning the two apartments to prepare them for their new occupants."

The members in the cafeteria break into polite applause at this news. "If any of you can do something similar, please let us know in the leadership office. Tris and Eric are in charge of the housing situation, and they will be more than happy to consider your offers between one and four o'clock today.

"Additionally, and I know this won't be popular, so please keep in mind that this is _temporary_, we are requiring all Dauntless-born members who have completed initiation but who have not yet turned eighteen to move back home with their families. Transfers under eighteen and those who cannot move home will be rearranged as needed."

Tris hears groans and grumbles from the crowd, and she keeps her eyes on her feet, afraid to see her friends' reactions.

"This is a _temporary_ arrangement," Max repeats with emphasis. "Some of the damaged apartments will be ready in a matter of a week or two. Others will take months. We will work to get this done as quickly as possible, for everyone's sake, and to get everything back to normal. In the meantime, all Dauntless-born members who have completed initiation but who are under the age of eighteen are required to report to the leadership offices at ten o'clock this morning. Transfer-born members who are under eighteen will report to the leadership offices at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.

"We have time for a few questions from those here in the cafeteria. Anyone?"

"What if someone is turning eighteen like this week?" calls one man from the crowd.

"We will take that under consideration," Eric replies. "But you must still report to the office. Since you're not yet eighteen, we know you're not married, and we have you on a list. We'll consider everyone individually, but you have to show up."

"What about kids that are on duty at the wall?" asks a middle-aged woman.

"We have made arrangements to video conference with them," Tris replies. "If they're going to move, they can do it when they get back from the wall or we can make arrangements."

"What if we don't show up?" asks an angry voice.

"Well, _Gabe_," Eric replies with emphasis. "If someone doesn't show up, they go to the bottom of the list for getting their apartment back. Those who comply quickly and willingly will be returned to their homes fastest, and those who act like whiny children will be left with their parents longer."

Tris notices a lot of dirty looks being shot in Gabe's direction.

"Dauntless protects this city," Max says firmly. "And even more than that, Dauntless protects its own." He's interrupted by cheers and applause, and has to wait for the noise to subside before he continues. "I have no doubt that our youngest members will set a good example of brave sacrifice for the good of the faction. Thank you for your attention this morning."


	21. Chapter 21: Old Friends & New Friends

**A/N: A fluffy little chapter to kick off your weekend! Enjoy!**

**XOXO,**  
**Libby**

.

For the next week, Eric, Tris, and the other leaders work practically around the clock. Tobias, in between shifts in the Control Room, delivers meals to his soulmates in their offices, keeps the shared apartment clean, and even does a few loads of laundry. Tris and Eric are touched by his Abnegation-like thoughtfulness. Eric even vows to quit teasing Tobias about being a stiff.

Their other friends pitch in as well. Uriah and Marlene are the first to show up at the leadership offices, willing to move home with their parents for as long as needed. Lynn also shows up in a timely manner and agrees to move home, though she's less enthusiastic thanks to her pest of a younger brother who adores her and follows her around. Zeke and Shauna decide to move in together when Shauna's roommate offers to move home in spite of being over eighteen.

Christina and Will are moved in with transfer initiates from the year before them. Christina finds a kindred spirit in her new roommate, an Amity transfer named Zoe. Will and his new roommate, Tyson, get along well enough, though they both hope to be reunited with their former roommates eventually.

Max told Eric when he and Four moved in with Tris that he wanted non-leadership living in the leadership wing to be among the first moved back home. Tris gives Eric's apartment to a couple with two young girls. They will be moved back to their apartment quickly, so Max is happy with that. She gives Tobias' apartment to one of the longest-term needs, hoping Max won't notice, and that they can continue living together.

When they're not working overtime, life is pretty normal for the soulmate trio, except now when Tris kisses "her boys" goodnight, they retire to their bedrooms instead of their apartments.

Home alone for the first time since Eric and Tobias moved in, Tris is startled out of a much-needed Saturday afternoon nap by a knock on the apartment door. She finds her new neighbor, Katrina, and Katrina's two young daughters in the hall.

"Tris!" says Katrina. "I'm so glad you're home! Can Taylor use your bathroom?" She gestures to the smaller of her girls, whom Tris guesses is about three years old. The little blonde girl is doing a "potty dance" in the hall outside their apartments.

"Of course," says Tris, opening the door with a laugh. "Down the hall, on the right."

"I'm so sorry about this," Katrina says as she rushes the little girl into the bathroom, her older daughter trailing behind them. "I forgot my keys in our, um, Eric's apartment, and Zack is working for another hour. The girls and I were just going to kill some time, but Tay said she had to go, and she doesn't give me any warning!"

Tris chuckles as the frazzled mother tells her story through the open bathroom door.

"You're welcome to hang out here," Tris says as she hears the toilet flush and the water in the sink run. "The guys are both working, so it's just me here. We could turn on a movie for the girls or something."

"That would be great!" Katrina says brightly as she and her daughters walk out of the bathroom. "Taylor, what do you say to Miss Tris?"

"Thank you fo' potty, Miss Tiss!" the little girl says cheerfully, dancing around her mother's legs.

"You're welcome, Taylor," Tris replies.

Tris tries to remember the shier, older daughter's name. _Brandi? Brittany? Bradi!_ she remembers.

"You're Bradi, right?" Tris asks, and the older girl smiles and nods.

"How old are you?" Tris questions, trying to break the ice with the girl.

"I'm five," Bradi says quietly, holding up five fingers.

"Wow," Tris says. "You're tall for five. Do you go to school?"

The girl nods. "I go to kindergarten," she says. "My teacher is Ms. Coulter."

Tris can't help but smile warmly. Tris didn't have Eric's mom for a teacher when she was little, but she has heard good things about her, both from Eric, whom she raised alone after Eric's dad left them, and from Dauntless families with young kids.

"I go to daycare!" Taylor interjects loudly. It's obvious the more outgoing sister is feeling left out of the conversation. Tris plays along, asking Taylor about her teachers at the Dauntless daycare.

The two girls select a movie from the streaming library, and Tris turns it on. Taylor begs Tris to sit with them on the couch, and she happily complies. An hour later, Taylor is asleep on Tris' lap and Bradi, who eventually warmed up to the young leader-in-training, is curled up beside her when Zack arrives. Tris offers to keep the girls so they can finish the movie and Taylor can finish her nap. Zack and Katrina accept, and head to their temporary home.

A few minutes later, Eric returns home and laughs when he finds Tris covered in little girls and watching an animated movie. "Well hello," he says.

Bradi buries her face in Tris' shoulder. "Bradi," Tris says gently, "this is Eric. Eric, this is our neighbor, Bradi. The sleeping one is Taylor. Bradi is a kindergartner in Ms. Coulter's class."

"Really?" Eric asks, his face brightening at the mention of his mom. "I know Ms. Coulter. She's my mom."

Bradi glances at Eric as if he might be teasing her. "Teachers are Erudite," the little girl says.

"I used to be Erudite," Eric says. "I chose Dauntless at my Choosing Ceremony."

Bradi still looks skeptical. "Talyor is going to choose Amity," she says.

"Why do you say that?" Tris asks curiously as Eric takes a seat on Tris' other side.

"She has a soulmark," the older sister explains. "It's red. It says something about picking flowers, so my dad says she's going to pick Amity when she grows up. That's why she's so happy and she talks all the time."

Eric chuckles as they hear a knock on the door. He opens it to see that Zack has returned.

"Is the movie over?" Zack asks his daughter. Bradi nods and hops off the couch, running to her father.

"Guess what, Daddy!" she says excitedly, obviously less shy in the presence of her father. "Ms. Coulter is Mr. Eric's mom! He used to be a Erudite, but he picked Dauntless just like Taylor is gonna pick Amity!"

"Is that so?" Zack asks, humoring his daughter.

He picks up the little girl, tossing her above his head before catching her easily. Bradi giggles, waking Taylor.

"Hi Miss Tiss!" the little girl says brightly as she rubs the sleep from her eyes.

"Wow, you even wake up happy!" Tris says, smiling at the little girl on her lap.

"I happy," Taylor confirms. Spying Eric, she asks Tris, "Who dat?"

"That's Mr. Eric," Bradi tells her little sister. "He lives here with Miss Tris and Mr. Four. And, Mr. Eric's mom is my teacher!"

The younger girl probably doesn't understand half of what her sister said, but she smiles and reaches for Eric. He's surprised, but takes the toddler from Tris. As Taylor hugs Eric and pats his face, Tris and Zack laugh.

"This one doesn't believe in strangers," the proud father says. "In her world there's only old friends and new friends."


	22. Chapter 22: Moving Pieces

Zack, Katrina, and their daughters have a short stay in the leadership wing. After two weeks in Eric's apartment, the cleanup is done in their unit, and they're free to return home. Technically the apartment is returned to Eric at that point, but Tris calls another "family meeting."

"I know you can go home now," Tris says nervously, "but I was kind of hoping you would stay here. I mean, Tobias is still here and all, so we might as well just keep things as they are, right?"

She bites on her lower lip as she awaits Eric's response. He doesn't say anything, but reaches over and gently tugs her lip free before giving her a soft kiss.

"Or I could move in to Eric's place with him," Tobias offers. "That way you wouldn't be living alone with some guy, and you could have your place back."

"Tobias," Tris chides gently. "You're not just 'some guy.' I have no problem living alone with you - with either of you. I just… I just like having you both here. Is that bad? That's bad, isn't it? I'm not being fair to you guys. Are you sick of sharing me?"

"No!" Tobias says emphatically. "I'm more than happy living here and sharing life with you two. I just don't want to be a burden, so I was making a suggestion."

"I think we're all happiest when we're together," Eric summarizes. "I'll stay as long as Max lets Tobias stay. Deal?"

"Deal," says Tobias, shaking hands with Eric.

"Yay!" cheers Tris. "Now who's up for a family movie night?"

"I'll make popcorn," Eric says.

"I'll pick a movie," Tobias offers.

"Then I'll put my PJs on," Tris says.

She gives each man a quick kiss, then hurries into her bedroom, returning a minute later in her favorite pajamas.

.

xxxx

.

For another month, the trio manages to avoid Max' censure. But as more apartments are repaired and more people get back to old living arrangements, he notices that Four has remained in the leadership wing. When he looks for Eric one evening and finds him in his pajamas at Tris' apartment, Max's patience runs out.

"Why are two of my leaders and one non-leader still playing house?" he asks in an irritated voice.

"Well, Sir," Tris begins somewhat nervously. "As long as Four is here, Eric is staying too. It's less awkward that way."

"Less awkward?" Max exclaims. "Nothing about the three of you is _less_ awkward. Like ever. If I didn't know better, I'd think Tris was some kind of underage queen bee with her own harem. Why doesn't Eric move back to his apartment? Four can go stay with him if living alone with a man is uncomfortable."

"We talked about that," Eric says. "But Four should be moving soon, so we thought, why bother moving twice? We're comfortable living together. We each have our own bedroom, good company, and help around the house. It just works."

"People are starting to talk," Max says lamely, knowing he's losing the fight.

"People were talking before we became roommates," Tris points out.

"Besides," Eric says, "there are weirder things that go on in Dauntless. Three single people living together isn't even unusual."

"Ugh," Max says. "It's different with you three. You act so, I don't know, so joined at the hip. You're like soulmates, or an old married couple, but there are three of you. And two of you are leaders, so everyone is noticing. I just want the distractions to end. We have a faction to run."

With that, Max turns and leaves, completely forgetting whatever he needed Eric for.

Eric sighs. "I guess we knew it was coming."

Tris sniffles, and both men turn to face her, surprised to see tears streaming down her face.

"Tris!" Four exclaims.

"Baby, he's not making one of us factionless," Eric says, hurrying over and lifting Tris into his arms, then sitting down with her on his lap.

She buries her face in Eric's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just PMS'ing. I'm just so happy with the two of you here. I don't really want to go back."

"None of us do," Tobias says, reaching over to rub Tris' back. "But what can we do?"

"If you married me you could keep living here," Tris says. "But there are a few problems with that. I mean, what about Eric?"

"And there's the little problem of you not being eighteen," Eric says.

"You could marry each other," Tris says with a giggle, knowing that neither man will go for that.

Both men scrunch up their noses in distaste. "Nope," Eric says, tickling Tris. "That would _not_ stop the rumors. And what would we do without our 'underage queen bee?'"

"I could give in and join leadership," Tobias says quietly.

Tris gasps. She and Eric understand why Tobias won't join leadership. The three of them have talked about it at length. Joining leadership would put Tobias in contact with his father again. It would also likely lead to revelations about his true identity, which he has worked very hard to hide.

Tris springs from Eric's lap and pulls Tobias into a fierce hug. "You don't have to do anything," she assures him. "You are part of our weird little family no matter where you live. We want you to be comfortable and safe. Don't risk that. We won't shut you out if you move, I promise."

.

xxxx

.

Max eventually gets what he wants. The last of the fire-damaged apartments is repaired, and Tobias is forced to go back to his place outside the leadership wing. Eric moves out at the same time, and Tris hates being alone in her big, empty place.

Oddly, though they have both moved out, Tobias and Eric continue referring to Tris' apartment as 'home.' The trio carries on their routine of togetherness much like they did before the fire, except sometimes after a late evening together, the guys stay overnight. Both keep a pair of sleep pants and a toothbrush at Tris' place for nights like that.

In the spring, the two men begin preparations for Tris' seventeenth birthday. Eric brings up the topic one morning when he and Tobias are out running without Tris.

"What are we going to do about Tris' birthday?" he asks.

"You realize she's never celebrated her birthday before, right?" Tobias asks. "In fact, I doubt she even knew when it was until she transferred."

"Really?" Eric asks. "I get that celebrating could be seen as selfish to the stiffs, but how can you not even know when it is?"

"From my experience, most Abnegation just know something general, like what month or season they were born in. They know which grade they belong in at school, and what year they'll choose their faction," Tobias explains.

"Wow," says Eric. "Now I'm not sure if we should go all out to make up for sixteen years of missed celebrations, or if we should keep it simple to avoid making her uncomfortable."

"It's hard to say with Tris," Tobias muses. "I still don't celebrate my birthday, though I know when it is now. But Tris has always been more Dauntless than I am, so she might like to celebrate."

"What does that mean?" Eric asks, a little harshly. "More Dauntless than you?"

Tobias shrugs. "She has embraced the lifestyle more. She's social. She shows off her tattoo, colors her hair, stuff like that. She does the daring things that Dauntless do just for fun, like ziplining."

"That's it!" Eric says. "We should take her ziplining for her birthday!"

Tobias groans. "I had to mention that…"

"What's the matter, _Mr. Four Fears_?"

"You know very well what's the matter, _Twelve_; I'm afraid of heights."

"Someone has to stay at the bottom to catch the first zipliner," Eric suggests. "Talk to Zeke about it. You know Tris would love it. We can invite Zeke and Shauna, Uriah, Christina and Will, all of Tris' friends. Then we can all play Dare on the train or come back and have cake or something."


	23. Chapter 23 Birthday Part 1

**A/N: Birthday part one is a bit short, but part two is longer. Do me a favor and do one random act of kindness today. Give someone sincere compliment, hold a door for someone, help without being asked. You don't have to report back to me about it, just do something nice. Hopefully the good vibes will bounce back here and I'll be able to post the second birthday chapter later today. Channel your inner Abnegation. I'll do my best to be back here later tonight with the next part.**

**XOXO,**

**Libby**

.

With help from Zeke and Christina, the guys prepare a birthday surprise for Tris. The morning of her seventeenth birthday is sunny and warm. When she meets Eric and Tobias in the cafeteria, they each give her a big hug and wish her a happy birthday.

"It's my birthday?!" she says excitedly.

Tobias nudges Eric. "You were serious?" Eric asks. "I kind of thought you were messing with me."

"What?" Tris asks. "You know Abnegation don't celebrate birthdays. I knew mine was in May, but I didn't know the exact day. What is the date today, anyway?"

"The seventh," the two men say at the same time.

"May seventh," Tris repeats, as if committing it to memory.

"We should have planned a surprise party," Eric says, trying to hide the fact that they did just that. "We wouldn't even have to be sneaky since she didn't know it was her birthday."

"When are your birthdays?" Tris asks.

"August twenty-second," Eric replies.

"November," Tobias grumbles quietly.

"You still don't celebrate?" Tris asks him. He just shakes his head. "November what?" Tris asks quietly, standing on her tiptoes to get conspiratorially close to Tobias as she asks.

He just shakes his head again. "If you don't tell me I'm going to make you celebrate for the entire month," she threatens with a smile.

He sighs. "The thirteenth," he grumbles.

Tris grins broadly, pleased with herself for getting that out of him, and plants a quick kiss on his cheek.

"We have to work today," Eric says, "but we're having dinner at my place tonight. Okay? And no PJs; we might go out for drinks or something."

When Tris arrives in her office, she finds a bouquet of flowers on her desk from the leadership team. The gesture feels so decadent that it makes her smile all day.

.

xxxx

.

The sound-cancelling headphones are removed from Tris' ears, and she hears Eric's voice, low and close. "Are you ready?" he asks, making her shiver.

Tris nods. She has been blindfolded with the sound muffled for nearly an hour as Eric, Four, and unknown other friends have led her, carried her, spun her around, and all-around confused her. She knows that at one point she was getting a piggyback ride from Eric as he jumped on and off a train. But everything else was a blur of darkness and muffled noise that ended with wind and cold. If Tris had to guess, she would assume they ended up in Amity. They're obviously outside somewhere, but the wind and the gravel under her feet make her think they're not in the city.

Eric carefully removes the blindfold and her friends all yell "Surprise!" and "Happy birthday!" They're on the roof of the Hancock building. Eric is there, and so are Zeke, Shauna, Uriah, Marlene, Lynn, Christina, and Will. The only one missing is Tobias, and Tris knows it's because of his fear of heights.

Seeing her searching the crowd, Eric whispers in her ear, "He's waiting for us at the end of the line."

"Ziplining!? You guys are the best!" Tris says to her friends. They crowd around, hugging her and patting her on the back. Eric claims the last hug, holding Tris for a long moment as she smiles up at him. He plants a quick kiss on her forehead.

"I'm first," Eric announces, stepping toward Zeke and the pile of harnesses.

"Seriously, Tris," Christina says conspiratorially. "He totally likes you. But so does Four. You're going to have to break someone's heart, and they're going to end up killing each other when you do."

"I keep telling you, Chris, it's not like that with us." Tris says.

"Uh huh," says Christina, sarcastically. "Then why don't they date anyone else? Why do they both look at you like you're an oasis in the desert?"

"An oasis in the..." Tris rolls her eyes. "That's a bit dramatic, Chris."

Eric steps onto the ledge, firmly attached to the zipline in an upright seated position. He turns and blows a kiss at Tris. "See you at the bottom!" he yells as he steps off.

"Why don't I believe you, Kissy-Trissy?" Christina asks, poking her friend in the arm.

Christina, the human lie detector, has been insisting since training ended that something is going on with Tris and the two trainers. She has tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to get details out of her friend.

"Birthday girl," Zeke calls, "you're next!"

Tris steps into the harness and Zeke and Shauna get it cinched up. "Do you want to sit like Eric did, or fly like last time?" Zeke asks.

"Fly!" Tris says excitedly. They hook her to the line, lifting her slight body off the ground, face-down.

Intense wind forces tears to leak from Tris' eyes as she hurtles toward the ground. She is weightless, fearless, and for a moment everything in the world melts away, leaving only wind, speed, and adrenaline. She picks up speed and shouts with exhilaration until the wind fills her mouth.

Held secure by the straps, Tris throws her arms out to the sides and imagines that she is flying. Her heart beats so hard it hurts. She can't scream and can't breathe, but she also feels everything, every vein and every fiber, every bone and every nerve, all awake and buzzing as if charged with electricity - pure adrenaline.

She tries to pull her arms to her chest again, but is not strong enough to resist the wind. The ground grows bigger and bigger. Tris doesn't slow down for another minute at least but sails parallel to the ground, like a bird. When she slows to a stop, she looks down at the two men waiting below her with matching smiles. Reaching behind herself, Tris works to undo the straps holding her in. The men grasp one another's arms, forming a cradle of limbs for her to land in.

"Come on, Birthday Girl," Eric yells. "We won't drop you."

Tris grins and rolls her body as the straps release, landing on her back in Eric and Tobias' arms.

"Happy birthday, Queen Bea," Tobias says, using the nickname they adopted privately.

"Thank you, my harem," Tris teases as they lower her feet to the floor.

She hugs Tobias and thanks him for the birthday surprise just as she had done with Eric and their other friends up on the roof. The three of them stand with their arms around each other as they wait for the next zipliner to appear.

When all of their friends have had a turn to fly and they've put away the slings and shut down the elevator, the group heads back to Dauntless to continue the party with cake and a game of Candor or Dauntless.


	24. Chapter 24: Birthday Part 2

**A/N: second chapter posted today. If you haven't read the first half of Tris' birthday (ziplining), go back and get caught up.**

**XOXO,**

**Libby**

.

When the group returns to the compound, Tris insists on hosting the Candor or Dauntless game at her apartment, as it's the biggest. Within a few minutes, they have gathered the cake, drinks, snacks, plastic cups, paper plates, and napkins that were stashed in their various apartments, and they're all back in Tris' living room.

The furniture is pushed back to make as much room as possible, and the birthday girl sits in her usual place in the middle of her couch, with Eric on her left and Tobias on her right. The rest of their friends sit on furniture or on the floor, making a big circle. They help themselves to food and drinks before the game begins.

"It's your birthday, Trissy," Uriah says gleefully. "So you get to go first."

"Okay," Tris says, looking around the circle. "Lynn!" she calls, "Candor or Dauntless?"

"Um, Candor," Lynn says.

"Why did you shave your head for initiation?" Tris asks.

"Whew, that's an easy one," Lynn says with a laugh. "I wanted to be taken seriously. Sometimes girls get treated like we're less capable. I also didn't want anyone to be able to use my hair against me in a fight."

"Smart," Christina says, rubbing her head as she remembers having her hair pulled in her fight with Molly.

"Four," Lynn says. "Candor or Dauntless?"

"Dauntless," Four says.

Lynn smiles wickedly. "I dare you to go up on the roof and jump into the net again."

Tobias removes his sweatshirt and throws it into the middle of the circle. "You're afraid of heights, aren't you?" Lynn asks. "That's why you didn't zipline with us."

Tobias just shrugs, and Tris unconsciously moves a little closer to him. Around the circle, curious eyes dart between Tobias, Tris, and Eric.

"Zeke," Tobias calls, "C or D, man?"

"Dauntless all the way, baby!" Zeke says cheerfully.

Tobias gives Tris and Eric a wicked grin, which they return, and Tris hops off the couch and runs to the kitchen.

"I dare you to do six shots, blindfolded, and tell us what you think each one is," Tobias says. "I promise you that none of them are dangerous."

Zeke swallows hard, then agrees. Tobias throws him the blindfold they used on Tris earlier, and Shauna secures it over his eyes. When Zeke is completely blind, Tris returns with a platter of shot glasses.

Tobias puts the first glass in Zeke's outstretched hand, and the blindfolded man drinks it. "Tequila!" Zeke shouts, relaxing a bit. The second glass contains white liquid. Zeke gags a little after he drinks it. "Milk," he says. "Not a good chaser for tequila!"

Everyone laughs at his reaction, and Tobias puts the third glass in Zeke's hand. "Ugh, I hope that's cheap vodka and not hairspray or rubbing alcohol," Zeke says after drinking it.

"It's vodka," Eric assures him with a laugh.

The fourth glass contains yellowish-green liquid. "Pickle juice? Maybe olive juice," Zeke guesses, smacking his lips. "It's really salty and vinegary."

"Two left," Tobias says, putting another glass in Zeke's hand.

"Ketchup," Zeke says after choking down the red liquid.

"Watered down with a little tomato juice to make it easier to drink," Tris says with a giggle.

"How thoughtful of you," Zeke says wryly.

"Last one," Tobias says as he puts the last glass in Zeke's hand.

The liquid is clear, and everyone laughs at the sight of a gummy worm floating in the cup. Zeke tosses back the drink, then starts gagging as he spits out the worm.

"Was that a worm?!" He shouts, ripping off the blindfold as he wipes off his tongue.

The group of friends laugh hysterically until Tris and Christina have tears running down their cheeks and Uriah is rolling on the floor.

"Here's your scary worm!" Lynn says, picking up the sticky candy and throwing it at Zeke.

Discovering that the worm is just candy, Zeke laughs along with his friends. Tris takes the empty glasses back to the kitchen, then plops down on the couch between her two men. Habitually, Eric and Tobias put their arms around the birthday girl.

"Okay," Zeke says, watching them skeptically. "Eric, Candor or Dauntless?"

"Does it matter?" Eric asks, noticing the quizzical expression on Zeke's face.

"Not really," says Zeke.

"Then ask what you want to ask," Eric says, giving Zeke a scowl to remind him that he's dealing with his faction leader.

"Um," Zeke begins, clearly a little intimidated. "So, uh, what's going on with you three?"

Eric glances at his family, then at the curious stares around the circle. "We're playing Candor or Dauntless," Eric says with feigned innocence. "Isn't that what we're all doing?"

"Come on, man!" Zeke whines. "You know that's not what I'm asking! The three of you have some kind of weird love triangle going on, but you and Four aren't like, killing each other over it. We just want to know what's going on."

"It's hard to explain," Eric says. "We're like three best friends, and we think of ourselves as a family."

"You're abnormally affectionate with one another," Shauna says, narrowing her eyes. "The three of you are never touchy-feely, especially Four and Eric. But you're always cuddly with Tris, and you're really comfortable with each other now."

"Puppies in a box," Tris says. "That's what I call it. When the three of us were living together we just got comfortable."

"I think we've answered that question enough," says Eric. "It's my turn. Christina, Candor or Dauntless?"

"Candor!" she says quickly. "You'll probably hang me from the chasm again if I pick Dauntless."

"Nah," Eric says. "Once was enough. Besides, if you fell in, Tris would probably kill me. Why don't you tell our friends here what your thirteen fears were?"

"Ugh, fine," Christina says, looking at Will for support before she begins. "Spiders, truth serum, bats, being made factionless, creepy slimy fish, cockroaches, not being able to tell I'm being lied to, vomiting in public, mice and rats, abandonment, moths, something happening to my little sister, and losing Will."

Christina shudders as she rattles off the list, and Will puts his arm around her, drawing her close to his side.

"A lot of bugs and critters on that list," Eric teases.

"I need a drink," Christina groans. "I know!" she brightens instantly. "Let's all do a shot. We'll start counting, and you have to take your shot when we get to the number of fears you have."

Everyone shrugs or agrees, so Tris grabs a bottle of tequila and a stack of disposable plastic shot glasses. She passes the cups around, followed by the bottle, and everyone fills a glass for themselves.

"Ready?" Christina asks. Everyone holds up their glass. "Cheers! To Tris! Happy birthday! One… Two… Three… Four…"

Tobias tosses back his glass, and Christina's eyes widen while Will looks like things suddenly make sense.

"Five… Six…" Christina continues counting, and Tris takes her shot on six. "Seven… Eight…" Uriah tosses back his drink. "Nine…" Lynn and Shauna both drink, and Tris finds it interesting that the sisters have the same number of fears. "Ten… Eleven…" Zeke tosses back his drink. "Twelve…" Eric drinks, and so does Will. "Thirteen…" Christina stops counting for a second to take her own drink as Marlene takes hers, too.

"Is that everyone?" Christina asks, and the group responds with nods and agreement. "Then it's my turn. Birthday girl! Candor or Dauntless?"

"Dauntless," Tris says, wary of further questions about her relationship with Eric and Tobias.

"I dare you to kiss every guy in this room that you've never kissed before!" Christina says, a sassy grin on her face.

Tris extracts herself from her spot between Eric and Tobias, and walks over to Uriah. She plants a big, noisy smacking kiss on his cheek, then does the same to Zeke and Will. When she sits down again, Christina waits expectantly.

"What?" Tris asks Christina, whose mouth is hanging open in shock.

"Are you done?" Christina asks.

"Yup," Tris says. "I've now kissed every guy in this apartment."

"But… But like, oh my God," Christina says. "Have you kissed them on the mouth, or just on the cheek like you did with the other guys?"

"I did my dare," Tris says. "Your turn is over. Shauna, Candor or Dauntless?"

"Um, Candor," Shauna says, sounding as shocked as Christina.

"What are the best and worst things about moving in with Zeke?" Tris asks.

Shauna laughs. "The best is being together whenever, and having a roommate I actually got to choose. The worst is that he has a lot of ugly furniture and old junk that he's unwilling to part with, and he's kind of a slob. Four, Candor or Dauntless?"

"Candor," he says.

"Do you have a soulmark?" she asks.

Tobias stiffens, and looks conflicted for the briefest second, then smiles. "No," he answers with a hint of pride in his voice. "I do not have a soulmark."

Tris is taken aback for a second, and glances at Eric to see his reaction. When she sees the matching smirk on Eric's face, she realizes exactly what Tobias said. _A_ soulmark. Singular.

"Wait," Christina says. "I'm confused. I sense you're lying, but I sense you're telling the truth, too. What's the catch?"

Tobias shrugs. "Maybe your lie detector is broken, Candor," he teases before choosing Marlene to go next.

She picks Dauntless, and Tobias decides to shake up the game a little by taking things in a new direction. "I dare you to go buy a pizza and carry it back on your head without touching it with your hands. If you drop it you have to go back to the pizza place, get a new one, and start over until you succeed."

Marlene grins at the unique dare. She leaves for the pizza place with Uriah, Lynn, Christina, and Will following behind. Four hands out another round of beers to Eric, Shauna, Zeke, and himself, and mixes another coconut rum and cola for Tris.

"Thank you, Baby," Tris says when he hands her the drink.

"Okay, seriously," Zeke says. "It's just us here. Tell me the truth. Are you guys in some kind of weird three-way relationship?"

The three on the couch look at one another, communicating silently and indicating that it's up to Tobias how open they should be with Zeke and Shauna.

Tobias sighs. "Kind of," he admits.

Shauna inhales sharply. "So you're bisexual?" she asks.

"No!" Eric and Tobias snap in unison, making Tris laugh.

"We're affectionate," Tris tries to explain, "but it's not sexual."

"And you're okay with that?" Shauna asks, shocked.

"Kind of," Eric grumbles quietly.

Tris puts a hand on Eric's knee. "That's hardest for Eric, I think," she explains. "I'm only sixte… seventeen," she corrects herself. "And growing up in Abnegation the physical aspects of love are, um, foreign to me. Because they don't like each other like that and I'm not ready, it's just not an issue. Not yet, at least."

"It's so weird," Zeke says. "Four and Eric have hated each other for years. Now that they have their eyes on the same girl, you would think their rivalry would be more epic than ever. Yet here you are, totally cool with sharing a girlfriend who won't commit, and not having sex with her. It's, well, it's bizarre."

Eric notices how Tris curls up, knees to chest, with her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to shield herself and make her body as small as possible. He places his large hand on her back and begins rubbing soothing circles. "I know it's weird," Eric says calmly. "That's why we don't talk about it. We're happy just being together for now, being friends and sharing our life. It doesn't have to make sense. It works, so why mess with it."

"But don't you just… You know? Sometimes a guy just needs to get some. Right?" Zeke asks.

Eric feels Tris tense up even tighter. He leans close, his arm around her shoulder. "Can you get me a bottle of water, Baby?" he asks softly.

Tris nods, grateful for the escape. She struggles enough with guilt and feeling like she's stringing Eric and Tobias along because of her inability to choose between them. Hearing Zeke talk about what a guy "needs" just compounds the feeling. She quickly grabs Eric's water, and hands it to him as she passes through the living room.

"I'll be right back," she says quietly when he catches her eye.

Tobias sighs when Tris shuts the door of her bedroom, and Eric swears under his breath. The two men look at one another, and Eric's face clearly tells Tobias that he needs to deal with Zeke while Eric comforts Tris. Tobias nods, and Eric follows Tris.

Shauna watches the entire exchange, amazed at the trio's sensitivity to one another and their non-verbal communication.

In her bedroom, Tris is curled up in a ball. Her small form takes up just a fraction of the large king-sized bed. Eric taps gently before letting himself in, then crawls across the bed to wrap his large form around Tris' smaller one.

Tris breaks the silence after a few minutes. "I'm sorry," she whispers.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Eric assures her.

"Yes I do," Tris says with a sob. "I can't choose. I love you both. If I pick you, I lose Tobias, and it will break my heart. If I pick Tobias, I lose you, and that would break me too. I feel like such a bitch stringing you both along. And to make matters worse, apparently I'm a frigid disappointment who doesn't meet your needs."

She sniffles as she cries softly. Eric pulls her back closer to his chest and kisses her neck, murmuring soothing little nonsense in her ear between kisses.

"Can I tell you something?" Eric asks when Tris stops crying. She nods. "I want everything with you. That means that _everything_, with anyone but you, is less than nothing. That means that _everything_, if you're not fully _with_ it, is less than nothing. Men want sex, they don't need it to survive. I can wait for you. I can wait for you to turn eighteen if that's what you want. I can wait until you're comfortable with the idea. I can wait until you know for sure that you want me too. I can wait until we figure this soulmate stuff out. I don't want to hurt Tobias, either. I _like_ sex, but I _love_ you."

"I love you too, Eric," Tris says softly.


	25. Chapter 25: Conversation

When Tris is finally asleep, Eric carefully separates himself from her and covers her with a blanket. He leaves the bedroom quietly, and finds Tobias alone in the living room, an open pizza box on the coffee table and a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"Everyone go home?" Eric asks.

"Yeah," Tobias says before taking another sip from his glass. "I told them Tris wasn't feeling well. They took the pizzas back to Will and Uriah's."

"Zeke and Shauna go with?" Eric asks, grabbing a slice of pizza from the box.

Tobias nods, and the two men sit quietly on their usual ends of the sofa.

"I told them," Tobias says in a low voice, avoiding Eric's gaze by staring into his glass.

"Zeke?" Eric asks.

Tobias nods. "I didn't know what else to do," he says. "First I asked him how he would feel if I pretty much said right in front of them that Shauna was a let down or that she wasn't good enough for him. He got pissed at me. Said that you _don't mess with a guy's soulmate_. That's when Shauna figured it out. I asked Zeke how he thinks Tris feels, and he started to say, 'but she's not your…' and then he got this really dumb look on his face and sat there with his mouth hanging open. It would have been funny if I wasn't fighting the urge to kick his ass."

Eric chuckles. "Then what? Did you show them?" he asks Tobias.

"Not then. The others came back. Apparently it took Marlene five tries to get back here, so their arms were full of pizzas."

"This wasn't on the floor, was it?" Eric asks, examining the pizza slice in his hand.

"The box might have been," Tobias says, taking another drink.

Eric shrugs and keeps eating.

"Anyway," Tobias continues, "I told them Tris wasn't feeling good, so they moved the party, and Shauna said they'd catch up. When the others were gone she asked which of us had soulmarks, so I told them. I even showed them, which was uncomfortable, to say the least."

"How did that go?" Eric asks.

"Zeke still seemed pretty shocked. He'll probably find each of us tomorrow and apologize. He tends to speak without thinking, but he's good about apologizing later. Shauna was really curious. She kept asking if we're sure we're not bisexual, and telling me that it's okay if we are. She even told me that Lynn is a lesbian."

"Hmm," muses Eric. "I guess I can see that. The Lynn thing, I mean."

"Yeah," Tobias agrees. "Maybe she'll fall in love with Tris, too, and we can add to the harem," he says wryly.

"Nope," says Eric. "Two of us is confusing enough. This family is soulmates only."

The two men lapse into silence for a while, then wordlessly begin cleaning up Tris' apartment.

"I think we should stay tonight," Tobias says. "I don't want her to feel abandoned if she's still upset."

"Agreed," says Eric.

.

xxxx

.

Shauna and Zeke quickly tire of the antics of their drunk friends. Four's confession sits heavy on their minds, so they decide to go home after just a few minutes in Uriah's apartment.

"What a shock," Shauna says as soon as they are alone behind the closed door of their apartment.

"I think the weirdest part is knowing Four and Eric are soulmates," Zeke says.

"Yeah," Shauna agrees. "I did _not_ see that one coming. How long do you think it will take them to admit to themselves that they're bi?"

"Do you really think they are?" Zeke asks. "I wouldn't guess that about either of them."

"How else do you explain it?" Shauna says. "Your soulmate is supposed to be your one true love - the person you marry and spend the rest of your life with. How do the three of them spend the rest of their lives together without being bisexual? Do they take turns with Tris?"

Zeke shakes his head. "I don't know," he admits. "Four has never dated or anything. He never even seemed interested. Maybe he's asexual or whatever."

"What would that mean?" Shauna asks, still trying to understand. "Eric and Tris hook up and Four just lives with them like a roommate? That can't be very fulfilling. Instead of a soulmate he'd be a third wheel."

"I don't know," Zeke repeats. "What I do know is that I upset Tris, and I owe her an apology. Other than that, I need to think about all this. Maybe it's none of our business? Maybe we should let them be whatever makes them happy."

"I'm just afraid Four will end up being hurt," Shauna says, and Zeke nods, feeling the same concern for his friend.

.

xxxx

.

_Tris looks around at the hauntingly familiar scene. The pile of wood has two posts jutting out of it, and a limp figure is tied to each post. She recognizes the figures as Eric and Tobias, though both men are bruised and bloodied as if suffering after a terrible beating._

_Tris tries to go to them, but her body is like lead and she's unable to move a muscle. "Eric?" she yells, "Tobias?" Neither man responds or acknowledges her call._

_Peter appears before Tris, flanked by Drew and Molly. Behind them, Tris sees the other initiates, the leaders, and other Dauntless members._

_Peter laughs, a dry, bitter sound. "What's the matter, Stiff?" Peter croaks. "Can't help your little boyfriends? I got news for you. You're not woman enough for one man, much less two. You're weak, ugly, and you have the body of a child."_

_Drew and Molly laugh, and soon all of Dauntless laughs robotically behind them. As the sound of their false laughter fills Tris' ears, Peter leans down and puts a match to the pile of wood._

_The fire roars to life, racing toward Eric and Tobias. Tris screams their names over and over, but her voice is drowned out by the noise of fire and laughter all around her._

"Tris! Tris! Come on, Queen Bea, wake up for me. You're having a nightmare!"

Tris' eyes fly open, and the first thing she sees is Tobias' worried face. She launches herself into his arms, sobbing with relief.

"You're okay!" she exclaims, her eyes darting all over as if checking him for injuries. "You're okay," she repeats as she puts her hands on his cheeks and peppers his face with kisses. "I love you, Tobias!"

"I love you, too," Tobias chuckles at the exuberant reaction, sprinkling a few kisses of his own on Tris' cheeks, nose, and forehead.

"Looks like I'm missing out on the fun," says a voice in the doorway.

"Eric!" Tris calls, rushing to give him the same treatment.

"What brought this on?" he laughs, scooping Tris into his arms.

"Bad dream," Tobias explains.

"It's okay, Baby," Eric soothes, his laughter gone. "We're right here. We got you."


	26. Chapter 26: Winter of Discontent

Life goes on as usual for the soulmate trio. They continue to bill themselves as friends, and keep most of their kissing, cuddling, and affection for times when they're alone. They maintain their individual apartments, work their respective jobs, and go about their business. The rumors about them eventually die down as the faction adjusts to their unique bond. None of them date or hook up with anyone. When someone dares to mention them in that context, people just shrug and say, "that's how they are."

Zeke, Shauna, and Hana keep their knowledge to themselves. Zeke, loyal friend that he is, becomes especially defensive of the trio. As Tobias had predicted, after a few days to nurse his hangover and process what he learned, Zeke apologized to Tris, Eric, and Tobias for questioning their relationship, and especially for hurting Tris' feelings.

At the end of the summer they celebrate Eric's birthday with a barbecue on the roof. The party is even larger than Tris' had been as they invite the leadership team and a few of Eric's other friends to join their usual group. When everyone is gone, the three of them sit on the ledge. This time, Eric is in the middle. Tris curls into the birthday boy's side, but Tobias keeps a few inches between them.

"This is where we both met you," Tobias says, breaking the silence.

"You both irritated me, too," Eric says. "I wanted to hide from stiffs, hide from love. Now I can't imagine my life without the two of you in it," Eric confesses.

.

xxxx

.

In November, Tobias' birthday is celebrated more quietly. Tris cooks his favorite dinner, and the three of them spend the evening together curled up on the couch watching his favorite movies.

.

xxxx

.

Hana invites the trio to her home on Thanksgiving. Tris helps with the baking, and they enjoy the home-cooked meal with Hana, Zeke, and Shauna. Uriah joins Marlene's family on a holiday for the first time, but having additional guests keeps Hana from missing her baby too much.

Being with people who understand their bond is a refreshing change for Tris, Eric, and Tobias. Their friends get a unique look at their camaraderie, affection, and natural connection. They're amazed by Tobias' protective instincts and heart to serve the ones he loves. They appreciate Eric's affectionate nature, and how he doesn't let Tobias be too self-sacrificing. Their worries about Four getting hurt are eased by Tris' equal affinity for both of her soulmates.

.

xxxx

.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, winter strikes suddenly. Snow and bitter cold come early. Fortunately, the food harvest was done in time. Unfortunately, the heavy snow slows trains and halts trucks, slowing distribution. The factionless fare the worst, especially when Abnegation has little extra to give them. As they become restless, Dauntless troops are often called on to enforce the peace and clear the roads and train tracks.

After a series of long, cold days overseeing the Dauntless soldiers clearing train tracks, Tris is exhausted. She feels hot behind her eyes, but otherwise chilled to the bone. As soon as she gets back to her apartment, she strips out of her wet clothes and rolls into her bed for a nap.

Eric and Tobias meet in the cafeteria for dinner, as usual. They wait for Tris, but when she doesn't arrive, they assume her crew is still out clearing snow. After they go through the food lines, they sit at a table with many of their friends, and are surprised to find Marlene among them.

"You're back?" Eric asks her.

Marlene rolls her eyes and looks down at her body, patting her own hands over her shoulders and face as if checking to see is she's there. "Looks like it," she says sarcastically.

"Where's Tris?" Tobias asks around a mouthful of pasta.

"I think she went home for a nap," Marlene says. "She's coming down with a cold or something."

Tobias is instantly ready to bolt from the room. "Sit down," Eric chides him. "She's just napping. We'll check on her after we eat."

Tobias reluctantly agrees, but eats his dinner quickly. He picks up a to-go meal of chicken soup, bread, and an orange for Tris while Eric finishes his dinner.

The two men find Tris asleep in her bed and still shivering. As the larger and warmer of the two, they decide Eric should climb in with her. He changes into the sleep pants he keeps at Tris' apartment and gets under the covers.

"She's burning up," Eric says.

"I'll get a thermometer," Tobias says, walking into Tris' bathroom and digging through the medicine cabinet.

Tobias checks Tris' temperature, resting one hand on her warm forehead while the other operates the digital thermometer he gently placed in her ear. Her temperature is one hundred and one degrees - high enough to make her miserable, but not high enough to require medical attention. Tobias brings water and fever reducers for Tris, setting them on the nightstand.

Eric spends the rest of the evening keeping Tris warm while Tobias putters around her apartment doing laundry and cleaning. When Tris wakes up, Eric helps her sit up and take the pills.

"Do you want some food?" Eric asks. Tris shakes her head. "Tobias brought you soup and bread. An orange, too. And we can make some tea if you want."

"Maybe the orange," Tris croaks.

.

For two days the men nurse Tris, with one or both of them hovering over her or keeping her warm with their body heat around the clock. Her illness isn't severe, just a case of influenza heightened by days working in the cold, wet snow. If she wasn't so miserable from the fever, she would have enjoyed the days cuddling with her soulmates. On the third day, she insists that she is well enough for them to go back to their regular routines.

Eric catches the flu from Tris, but his case is mild. Others throughout the compound and the city also come down with the illness, which hits individuals with varying intensity. Most in Dauntless have only a few days of fever, chills, and body aches. They're back to normal quickly. In Amity and Abnegation, where they use fewer protective serums and have more elderly and infirm members, the flu is sometimes deadly.

As always, the factionless fare the worst. Abnegation aid workers and Erudite medics cannot keep up with the disease. Their fight is further compounded by unrest within the factionless community. People are hungry, sick, and dying. It's a recipe of desperation and anger that leads to violence within the factionless community and threatens the safety of anyone moving about the city.

Just after the new year, in another miserable cold snap, the Dauntless leaders are forced to mobilize troops in the factionless sector. Tobias' squad is called up, and Eric is sent as the leadership representative in the field.

Tris, still in leadership training, is given additional responsibilities during the deployment. It keeps her busy, but her heart is in the field with her men. As leaders, she and Eric are able to communicate occasionally through email and messaging on their comm devices. Eric passes along updates and greetings from Tobias as well.

Out in the field, the two men go from deeply connected friends to brothers-in-arms. Serving side-by-side, they face danger, cold, and deprivation. They learn to rely on one another and work together like never before.

One day, Eric and Tobias are out in the field with their squad, making their presence known to the factionless and securing space for the Erudite medics to set up a makeshift clinic. When supplies arrive from Erudite, the Dauntless soldiers help unload crates of medicines, preventative vaccines, and antibacterial cleaning supplies. In exchange for medicine to either treat or prevent the flu, each factionless individual or family will be required to learn about germs and take a kit of cleaning supplies. Having grown up in Abnegation, Tobias knows that the factionless are not stupid. But Erudite thinks everyone is stupid but themselves, so they insist on doing this teaching.

When the space is set up, armed Dauntless troops create a human fence around the perimeter. The factionless are allowed to enter for treatment through an opening where a lady in blue winter clothing and a germ-filtering mask sits at a table. She speaks to each factionless person, then directs them to the education area where they are treated to a condescending lecture and a kit of cleaning supplies from another Erudite in a mask. From there each person is examined and treated by a doctor.

For the first hour things go smoothly. The Dauntless soldiers rotate so some can go into a tent for food and a chance to warm up. Tobias and Eric are on the perimeter, standing a few feet apart, when a crazed-looking old factionless man dashes through the line of Dauntless soldiers and into the treatment area.

"This isn't medicine!" the man screams. "They're trying to kill us off! Why would Erudite spend money on us? They want us dead so they can take our blankets and shoes! We're letting them poison us with clover!"

Everyone turns to stare at the old man, but no one can do anything. With all the soldiers, doctors, and factionless standing around, no one has a clear shot at the man. As the commanding officer, Eric cautiously steps toward the man, hoping to negotiate. "Relax," Eric says, his hands raised to show that he is not a threat. "The doctors are here to help. Erudite needs the factionless to help eradicate the flu. They're teaching everyone how to use these cleaners to kill off the germs. In exchange, you get medicine. This is not about Erudite or the factionless; it's about killing off the flu that is making people sick all over the city."

"You're one of them!" the man screeches, waving his arms wildly.

"One of who?" Tobias asks from the opposite direction.

The old man spins to face the new perceived threat, taking his eyes off Eric, who is able to inch closer and closer, hoping to catch the man off guard so he can handcuff him.

"You too!" the man yells, pointing at Tobias. "You're trying to stop me! You want to take my baby!"

"What baby?" Tobias asks, just trying to keep the man talking.

"You know what baby!" the crazy man yells. "The baby that took the money!"

Eric gets close enough, and just as he's about to tackle the man to the ground, the unstable factionless man pulls a butterfly knife out of his pocket, waving it wildly. Eric ducks just in time, snapping a pair of handcuffs on the man's wrists as he does. He kneels beside his captive, keeping a knee in the man's back to hold him still. He calls for two soldiers to take the still nonsencically ranting man to a holding cell for evaluation.

Eric wipes the dirt and sweat from his palms. "Nice job distracting him, Four," he compliments his fellow soldier.

"You did well, too," says Tobias, reaching out to grasp Eric's hand and pull him to his feet into a quick back-thumping man hug.

.

After two weeks, their squad is returned to the compound, and Tris meets them at the loading dock. She sees Tobias first and runs to his arms. They share a long hug, and when she looks up, Eric is there as well. She gives him the same greeting, and the men around them just shake their heads and continue stowing their gear. They all noticed in the field that although Four and Eric share a deep bond, there is nothing overtly sexual between them. The other soldiers never had cause to be uncomfortable around the two men. They may not understand, but they learned to accept the relationship as they saw it work.


	27. Chapter 27: Redeployment

For the first week after the guys get back, Tris, Tobias, and Eric are inseparable when they're not working. The men tell Tris all about their experiences in the field, the conditions of the factionless, and the efforts that Dauntless troops are making to keep the peace.

Zeke is gone for the second two-week deployment. As with Four and Eric's time in the field, Dauntless troops keep the peace among the factionless. Unlike their deployment, this time some factionless fight back with violence. Tris is awakened one night by an alarm tone on her comm device. She throws on the first clothes she can find and runs to the leadership wing where she meets up with Eric, Max, and the other leaders. Harrison is the only one missing as he is in the field with the troops.

"Some factionless with knives attacked a tent of our sleeping men," Max informs the leaders once they have all arrived. "We have several wounded coming back to the compound, and one seriously wounded soldier heading to the hospital at Erudite. I'm mobilizing another squad to replace the injured and bump up our numbers. Tris and I will go out with them for a couple days."

"Any word on who the casualties are?" asks Tris, worried about Zeke.

"The soldier heading to Erudite is Jamie Peterson. They think he'll recover, but some of his stab wounds were deep, so they need to be sure there's no internal damage. The other injured will be here soon."

"How many?" asks Veronica.

"Three coming here," Max explains. "Eric and Veronica, head to the loading dock to meet them. Tris, meet me in the armory so we can get outfitted."

"Do I need to bring anything?" she asks.

"Pack your duffel for one night," Max says. "We should be back tomorrow."

"Dress in warm layers," Eric instructs her.

Tris nods and hurries to do as she was ordered.

.

xxxx

.

Zeke is not among the injured, but their former neighbor, Zack, is. He sustained minor injuries to his shoulder, side, and thigh. Once Tris is gone and the injured are back, Eric is sent to inform Katrina. He's thankful on the walk to their apartment that he is only delivering news of minor injuries.

Eric knocks on the apartment door, and a second later Taylor opens it.

"Hey Munchkin!" Eric greets her. "You've gotten taller!"

"Mister Eric!" she crows joyfully.

At the sound of her daughter's greeting, Katrina comes running out of one of the bedrooms. Eric notices right away that the woman is visibly pregnant with the couple's third child.

"Eric! Zack! No!" Katrina wails as she starts to shake.

"Katrina, no!" Eric says, putting his arms on the pregnant woman's shoulders. "He's fine. He's okay. I promise."

"Why are you here?" she asks, swiping at the tears on her cheeks as she regains her composure.

"Zack is fine, I promise," Eric repeats. "There was an attack by a group of factionless overnight. No one was seriously hurt, but a few of the guys needed stitches. Zack is in the infirmary. I came to take you to him so you can bring him home. He's going to be just fine. It's just a few stitches, I promise."

Taylor throws her arms around Eric's legs and buries her face in the side of his thigh. "I want my daddy!" the little girl wails.

Eric picks her up, letting her cry on his shoulder while he rubs her back. "Daddy is just fine," he assures the little girl. "We can go see him as soon as Mommy is ready."

Turning to Katrina, Eric asks, "Where is Bradi?"

"She stayed at my sister's last night with her cousins," Katrina replies as she puts her shoes on. She grabs her purse, along with a sweatshirt and shoes for Taylor. "Can we go?" she asks Eric.

"Of course," he says, still holding the little girl.

The three of them make their way to the infirmary. Another family is there ahead of them, and Will brings coffee and bottled water while they wait. A few minutes later, Veronica arrives with a worried middle-age couple. Will serves them as well, then speaks to the waiting families and leaders.

"My name is Will," he introduces himself. "I'm a trainee here at the infirmary. As our leaders have told you, a group of factionless attacked a tent of Dauntless soldiers early this morning. Fortunately, no one was killed or seriously injured. One soldier had a fairly deep knife wound and was taken to Erudite. I understand he is already on his way back to the compound. Three others, your family members, suffered surface wounds that required stitches. Each of them is patched up and has been given IV fluids, antibiotics, and a tetanus booster. They are free to go home, and will have the next few days off to recover from their injuries and rest. We cannot allow children back in the treatment areas, but I can take one or two adults to each patient so you can speak to the doctors and get them ready to go home. Who is here for Tad Walker?"

The older couple raises their hands, then follows Will out of the room.

Katrina turns to Eric, who is still holding Taylor. "What do I do?" asks the panicked woman. "My sister lives on the other end of the compound, and Tay will freak out. I'm not supposed to be lifting her anymore."

"Relax," Eric says with a smile. "She cried herself out and is sound asleep on my shoulder. I'll stay right here with her."

"Thank you," Katrina breathes, rubbing her hands over her prominent baby bump.

"So when are you due?" Eric asks.

"About a month," she says. "We're having a boy this time; his name is Axel."

"Congratulations!" Eric says. "That's a great Dauntless name."

Once he helps Katrina get Zack and Taylor settled in at home, Eric returns to the leadership center. He has lunch in his office with Tobias, and the two are tense and quiet the entire time, thinking of the attack overnight, and of Tris. They know the danger she's facing in the field, the desperation and sometimes mental instability of the factionless. Tris is only gone for one day, but it's the longest day of Tobias and Eric's lives.

When they part for the night, Eric goes back to his apartment. He spends several hours wandering around his living space feeling lost and uneasy. Eventually, he gives in to feelings he knows are silly and lets himself into Tris' apartment. It's dark as he makes his way through the living room and into Tris' bedroom. He sits down on the edge of Tris' bed and lets out a sigh.

"Eric?"

Eric startles and nearly falls off the bed. "Jesus, Tobias, you scared the crap out of me," Eric says with a laugh. "I see we had the same idea."

"Yeah," says Tobias sheepishly. "I couldn't relax. I thought if I could just be in her space, you know, I thought I might be able to fall asleep."

Eric lifts the covers on his side of Tris' king-sized bed. "Stay over there," he warns Tobias, who is already under the covers on the opposite side of the big bed.

"You too," Tobias says, rolling to face away from Eric.

After a few minutes of silence, Eric sighs again. "How does this work?" he asks quietly.

Tobias rolls onto his back. "I wish I knew. I'm happy right now, but this can't last forever, you know? Some day she's going to have to choose. I mean, I suppose we could just live together, like the three of us, but we can't both marry her."

"And you might be my best friend, but this is as much bed sharing as I ever want to do with you," Eric adds with a dry chuckle.

Tobias laughs along with Eric, and both men fall silent.

"You're my best friend, too," Tobias says softly.

Comforted by the presence of their friend and the familiar smell of the girl they love, the two men fall asleep.

.

Tris returns safe and sound the next day, a love note from Zeke to Shauna tucked in her pocket. Eric and Tobias meet her at the loading dock, just as she had met them. She hugs her two soulmates and drops off the note for Shauna before going home to shower and unpack.


	28. Chapter 28: Broken Triangle

After the attack, the factionless become more brave and aggressive. Max deploys more squads of troops, and even spends a week in the field when Harrison comes home. When Max returns, Eric is sent to the field again, and Tobias' squad is called up again as well.

Tris is lost without her two soulmates. She works long hours and sleeps little. The slightest noise makes her jump. Christina and their other friends try to keep her occupied, but she has no patience for shopping, parties in the pit, or socializing. She's restless, nervous, and uneasy all the time.

A week into her soulmates' second deployment, Tris wakes in the night to the same alarm that she heard the night Zack was injured. "Report to Leadership Offices," the message reads.

Tris dresses quickly, her heart pounding, and runs through the compound. When she arrives, only Max is there before her. "Loading dock!" he shouts, and Tris turns to obey her superior's command.

Everything is chaos at the loading docks. Dauntless troop carriers are moving into position, and soldiers are packing weapons, ammunition, and supplies into crates. Tris doesn't know what she needs to do, so she looks for the commanding officer.

She finds the Lieutenant in charge, a woman named Maxine, issuing orders and looking over forms. "Major Prior," the Lieutenant says, saluting Tris as she calls her by her Dauntless military title. "Come with me please."

Tris follows. As a leader in training she might outrank Lt. Maxine, but she knows that when it comes down to it, the older woman has a lot more experience, and Tris has no interest in pulling rank just to pull rank. Maxine tosses Tris a bullet-proof vest and field helmet, then leads her to a jeep where a dark-haired driver waits behind the wheel.

"Major Prior this is Sergeant James," the Lieutenant says. "He will take you to your destination."

Tris thanks the Lieutenant, and they salute one another. She throws on the protective gear and a holster and side arm that were waiting for her in the jeep. As soon as she is seatbelted in, the driver puts the vehicle in gear and they lurch toward the exit of the garage and out into the dark streets of Chicago.

"Where are we going?" Tris asks the driver.

"To the camp," he says, confirming what Tris already suspected.

"Why?" she asks, terrified of the answer.

"Because of the factionless attack," the Sergeant says, as if the answer should be obvious.

"What factionless attack?" Tris asks, losing patience as her anxiety for Tobias and Eric skyrockets.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the driver says. "I thought you knew. There was another overnight attack. This time the factionless with knives led some of our troops into an ambush. There were a few factionless who had guns."

"Casualties?" Tris asks, barely able to breathe.

"It just happened," the Sergeant says as he races the vehicle through the empty streets. "Intel is incomplete, but there is at least one Dauntless killed, several taken to Erudite, and others with minor injuries."

Tris stares at the floodlit former park that has become the Dauntless encampment in the factionless sector. Normally at this time of night the camp would be dark, with just a few burn barrels to add light and keep the soldiers on watch from freezing. But tonight the area is awash with light and buzzing with troop movements. Sergeant James drives Tris right into the camp and stops the jeep at the command tent in the center of the action.

At the sound of the jeep, the tent door swings open, and Lieutenant Thomas, Tobias' commanding officer, steps out. His left arm is in a sling, and Tris can see a bloody bandage on his upper arm. He also has a black eye, and a cut on his swollen lip.

"Major Prior," Thomas greets Tris with a salute. She returns the gesture. "Thank you for coming so quickly. In here, please." He gestures to the tent, and Tris gets out of the jeep, thanking her driver before he leaves.

"Where is the Colonel?" Tris asks, looking for Eric.

"In here, Ma'am," says Thomas. Tris detects sadness in his voice, and it shakes her to her core. _Is Eric hurt? Dead?_ she wonders. _Where is Tobias?_

She follows the Lieutenant into the tent. The front part of the room is a hive of activity. Maps and papers are strewn about the tables, and officers hold lanterns above the papers as they argue about strategy and their next moves. None of them look Tris in the eye. She looks around desperately, but doesn't see Eric.

"This way," Thomas says, lifting the curtain that separates the front of the tent from the small sleeping quarters.

Tris ducks under the flap and steps into the dimly lit sleeping quarters. There are two cots in the room. The one on the right is empty, and the bed is rumpled and unmade, as if its inhabitant was suddenly called out of a deep sleep. The cot on the left holds the prostrate form of Eric, covered in blood.

Tris gasps as the floor falls out from under her and the room spins. Thomas begins speaking to her, but she can't make out the words. Finally the word "sedated" pierces her consciousness and she realizes that Eric's chest is rising and falling.

"Bleeding…" Tris mumbles, unable to form a complete thought.

"That's not his blood, Ma'am," Thomas says. "Another soldier took a bullet meant for Colonel Coulter. The other man died, and Eric took it hard. We had to sedate him after he gave me a black eye and a split lip for trying to pry him away from the body."

All at once, Tris knows what happened. She knows exactly who would sacrifice himself to save Eric's life, and whose death would break Eric so badly that he had to be sedated.

"Four," Tris says, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Thomas looks shocked. "Yes, Ma'am. Four sacrificed himself and saved Eric."

Tris' knees buckle, and she drops to the floor. More than she wants her next breath, she wants for this all to be a bad dream. But as the minutes tick by, she doesn't wake up. She doesn't cry. She doesn't speak. She barely breathes around the raging ache in her chest. All she can do is sit on the canvas floor and stare at Eric's chest, covered in Tobias' blood, as it rises and falls.


	29. Chapter 29: Empty

War doesn't stop for grief. After a giving her a few minutes, Lieutenant Thomas takes a knee beside Tris. "Major," he says gently. Tris slowly turns her stunned face to the Lieutenant. "I think we need to send the Colonel back to the compound. Are you okay with assuming command here?"

"How… How long will he be unconscious?" Tris asks.

"He should come around soon," Thomas says. "I can take you somewhere else if you'd like. He was quite violent before we sedated him."

"No," Tris says firmly. "I need to be here when he wakes up."

"Are you sure?" Thomas asks. Tris nods.

The Lieutenant ducks back through the flap to the front part of the tent, leaving Tris alone with Eric's unconscious form. Unable to get off the floor on her shaking legs, Tris crawls to the side of Eric's cot. She lifts the dead weight of his arm and lays her head on his chest, putting his heavy arm across her shoulders. Tears come then, a downpour of them. They mingle with the dried blood on Eric's chest, staining Tris' cheeks.

"Tris," Eric mumbles as he wakes up. "Noooo," he groans as his memories return. "Is this real?" he asks, silently begging Tris to tell him that it's just a bad dream.

"Eric," Tris croaks, unable to say anything else.

They shift, and Eric lifts Tris to lay fully on top of him, her knees by his sides on the cot and her Kevlar-clad chest pressed to his. Eric wraps his large arms around Tris' back, squeezing her close. She tucks her head under his chin, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. They stay like that, sobbing quietly and holding on to one another.

"I'm sorry," Eric eventually says in a choked voice. "I'm so sorry. He died for me, Tris. What do I do with that?"

Tris is silent for a moment, her tears the only answer she has.

"You live for him," she finally says, her voice little more than a whisper. "I don't know how. I feel so empty right now. But all I know is that he died so you could live, and the only thing you can do to honor that is to live."

"I loved him," Eric says. "I never told him that because it was weird to say it to a guy. But he was my brother, my friend, and he understood me. I wasn't brave enough to tell him, but I loved him."

"He loved you, too," Tris says.

"I know," Eric says. "He gave his life to show me. I can't believe he's gone."

"Me neither," says Tris. She sits up on her knees, still straddling Eric's torso, and wipes the tears from his face. He places his big hands on her thighs, and she can feel the warmth through her uniform pants.

"You need to apologize to Thomas," Tris says quietly. "Apparently you gave him a black eye and split his lip. That's why you were sedated. They want to send you back to the compound and leave me in charge."

"I won't leave you," Eric says desperately, squeezing her thighs to emphasize his point. "We've already lost too much."

"Good," Tris says. "You have rank here. Go tell Thomas what we're going to do next. After you apologize, of course."

Eric sits up and swings his legs off the cot. He wraps his arms around Tris again, and buries his head in her hair. "I missed you," he says.

"I missed you, too," Tris says, kissing him on the cheek.

.

xxxx

.

While Eric apologizes to Thomas and is brought up to speed on the fight with the factionless, Tris uses one of the communication computers to speak to Max.

"Tris!" the leader says, alarmed at the sight of her face. "Is that blood?"

"Yes," she says, "but it's not mine. Four is dead, Max. He jumped in front of Eric and took a bullet that was meant for him."

"I know," Max says gently. "That's why I sent you out there. I knew you and Eric would need each other."

"Thank you," Tris says softly, surprised by the gesture. "We were soulmates, Max. All three of us. We each have two soulmarks, and we fit together like puzzle pieces."

"That explains a lot," Max says with a weary sigh. "Soulmate loss is a special kind of grief. I'm really sorry."

Tris nods. "Eric and I are staying here until you send someone to replace us," she informs her boss. "He and Thomas are going over plans with the other officers right now. Please wait to hold Tobias' funeral until we get there."

"I'll come out there tomorrow," Max says, "and I'll stay until the end of Eric's two weeks. Then Harrison will come as scheduled if we're still fighting by then. I'm afraid I can't really give you both time off right now, but I can arrange a day for the funeral and a week or so once things settle down with the factionless."

"Thank you," Tris says. "I know Eric and I are listed as Tobias' contacts, but since we're out here I thought Zeke could make some decisions about the funeral. Is there a way I can talk to him?"

Max buzzes his administrative assistant and has him send for Zeke and Shauna. Tris is grateful that Max thought to have Zeke's soulmate there with him so he won't have to face this alone. She opens the tent flap and calls for Eric to come update Max on the battle while they wait for Zeke.

.

"Hey Tris! What are you doing on the front lines?" Zeke asks when he arrives in Max's office and sees her on the computer monitor.

"We had a bit of an emergency last night," she says. There's a tap on Max's office door and Shauna walks in.

"Hey Baby," Zeke greets his girlfriend. "What are you doing..." and Tris can hear the jovial tone of his voice fade, replaced by worry.

"What's going on?" Shauna asks, nervously waving to Tris through the monitor.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," Tris says. She feels the lump in her throat threaten to choke her as she prepares to give her friends information that will hurt. "Last night a group of factionless attacked the camp again. When some of our troops chased them, they walked into a trap. There were factionless with guns. Four... Four was killed."

"Oh my God," breathes Shauna. Zeke puts his arm around his girlfriend as Shauna and Tris both begin to cry.

"He was a hero," Tris sobs. "He died saving Eric's life."

For a minute they just sit and cry together over video. Eric appears in the frame when he sits down next to Tris and puts his arms around her.

"Because we're both here, we need you to make funeral arrangements," Eric tells Zeke. "Max is relieving us tomorrow. I thought we could do the funeral on Tuesday if that works. We already sent the body home to be cremated, and we've asked that his faction of origin _not_ be notified."

"Of course," says Zeke. "I'll do whatever you need. How are you guys feeling?"

"Empty," says Tris.


	30. Chapter 30: Goodbye

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews - even the angry, heartbroken ones. I swear, I love Tobias. In fact, as I told several of you in reply to your reviews, my next fic is pure FourTris goodness. It's called Eaton and Associates, and I'm already 48 chapters into it. But you know my process - I finish writing, then I release chapters as I edit. So stay tuned for that.**

**This is the final chapter of Soulmates. It's a loving tribute to Tobias by two people who learned a lot about real love from a man who didn't originally believe in it. There's a very short epilogue I'll post tomorrow to leave us on a more hopeful note.**

**Thank you for coming on another journey with me. See you next time.**

**XOXO,**

**Libby**

.

Eric and Tris stand with their arms around one another on a boulder near Tobias' favorite place at the bottom of the chasm. A handful of their closest friends stand on the ground around them. A spotlight shines on the pair, and it appears to get brighter as the lights around the chasm are shut off one by one. Eric and Tris look up at the crowd of Dauntless gathered on the walkways, ledges, and bridge over the chasm. Each of them holds a candle, and as the room darkens they begin to light them.

Eric raises a bullhorn to his face so he can be heard over the roar of the river. "We are here today to celebrate the life of a Dauntless legend," he begins. "Four was one of our bravest members. Even his name was a celebration of his bravery. He came to us with only four fears, by far the fewest in Dauntless history. But true bravery is in his real identity. Four was Tobias Eaton."

Eric pauses as around the chasm people gasp and murmur in surprise. "The bravest thing Tobias ever did was to break free of his father," Eric continues. "As a sixteen-year-old, he walked away from his abuser and built a new life for himself. No one comes to Dauntless less prepared than an Abnegation transfer. But to Tobias it was worth the risk, worth the hard work, to be free of a monster that would beat a child."

Dauntless members shout angrily at the mention of child abuse, and Eric waits for them to quiet before passing the bullhorn to Tris. "One of Tobias' four fears was heights," she tells the crowd. "Yet every day he climbed the ledges and bridges of this compound fearlessly. I once asked him how he could live here and function with the fear of heights. He told me that he just ignored his fear."

"Bravery isn't the absence of fear," Tris continues. "Bravery is acting in the face of fear. Tobias lived that truth every day. And he died for that truth. When the factionless lured some of our troops into an ambush, Tobias gave his life - jumped in front of a bullet - to save his friend."

She passes the bullhorn back to Eric as the tears make it hard for her to speak, and he picks up the eulogy. "There is an ancient writing that says, 'greater love has no man than this - that he would give his life for a friend.' Tobias gave his life for me. He gave his life for Dauntless. He gave his life for Chicago."

The roar of the crowd far exceeds the roar of the chasm and the river. Eric holds up the flask in his hand, and Tris does the same. Around the chasm, Tris sees sparkles as people raise metal flasks and glass bottles in the candlelight.

"To Four!" Eric yells into the megaphone.

"Four! Four! Four!" the crowd screams as one voice.

A second spotlight shines on the bridge, where Zeke and Shauna hold up the urn of Tobias' ashes. They kneel down as the crowd continues to chant, and they pour the urn's contents into the chasm, where the ashes join the swirling water. The noise of the river and the crowd reach a fever pitch, and Tris feels like the sound is the only thing holding her upright. Tears pour down her face as she absorbs the love and respect of their faction saying goodbye.

When the pit lights come on and the spotlights are extinguished, Eric and Tris sit down on the boulder. The crowd disperses, off to finish the Dauntless funeral tradition by getting drunk. Tobias' closest friends stay together, waiting for Zeke and Shauna to join them at the bottom of the chasm.

When only the core group of Tobias' friends remains, they spend a few hours telling their favorite stories about their friend. Tris and Eric are able to answer some questions about Marcus, and Tobias' transfer from Abnegation. Eric tearfully tells the group the details of Tobias' last moments. They drink, and cry, and hug one another as they remember the man who meant so much to them.

When most of the compound is quiet, Tris and Eric sneak back to the leadership wing and lock themselves in Tris' apartment. They habitually take their usual spots on the couch, but neither of them can take their eyes off the empty space on Tris' other side.

"I was thinking about having his soulmark tattooed next to mine," Eric says quietly.

"I like that," Tris says. "And since it's our own handwriting it should be easy to do. I was thinking about a tattoo also. There's an ancient knot design with three loops called a Celtic trinity knot. It was a religious symbol that meant three-in-one. I thought it was fitting and pretty."

"We should do both," Eric says.

They sit quietly for a few minutes, wiping the occasional tear.

"I keep thinking about what you told me," Eric says. "Tobias died for me, so I have to live for him. Thank you for saying that. The guilt of someone taking a bullet for you is heavy. It's overwhelming to think that Tobias wanted me to live so bad that he was willing to die so it could happen. I mean, I know people _say_ that, but he _did_ it. He _died_ for me. A life for a life. Not for the greater good, or an innocent child, or his entire squad. Just me. I need to make something out of that priceless gift. I need to be worthy of that."

"You're already worthy," Tris says, turning to put her hands on Eric's face. "Tobias knew that you were already worthy of life. You don't have to earn the gift he gave you. You just have to accept it and make the most of it."

"I love you, Tris," Eric says.

"I love you, too," she replies.

With many tears and kisses, they vow to one another that together they will live for the gift of life that Tobias gave them, and that they will carry the memories with them always.


	31. Epilogue

Some years later...

.

The nurse places the screaming bundle of wrinkly flesh and flailing limbs directly on the Celtic knot tattoo on his mother's chest. Tris looks down at her newborn son, wrapping her arms around his tiny body.

"He's perfect," Eric says in a choked voice as he tucks a blanket over his wife and son.

"Hey Toby," Tris coos at the infant.

"Babe, we are not calling him that," Eric whines. "It sounds like a hippy Amity name."

"Tobias Andrew Coulter is a lot of name for such a sweet tiny bundle," Tris says in a baby voice.

After letting the new parents bond for a few minutes, the nurses take baby Tobias to get cleaned up while the doctor does the same for the new mother.

"Looks like somebody has a soulmark," the nurse calls to the new parents.

Eric rushes to his son, and groans when he sees the mark on his foot.

"What?" Tris asks in alarm from her hospital bed. "Is it red? Grey? What's the matter?"

"It's black," Eric says. He scoops up the tiny infant in his big hands and carries him back to Tris' bed, showing her the mark on the bottom of his foot.

"Toby," it says, in loopy, feminine writing.

Tris can't help but laugh.

When the infirmary staff are done getting the new mom and baby cleaned up and thoroughly checked, they leave the family to rest and bond. Eric helps Tris scoot to the side of her big bed, and sits down beside her. They stare in awe at their newborn son, admiring his tiny fingers, round cheeks, and perfect rosebud lips. When the baby starts to wake and stir, he opens his eyes to reveal a familiar deep ocean blue.

"He's still with us," Tris whispers.

"He's always with us," Eric says quietly.


End file.
